25th September, 2014
President Goodluck Jonathan has assured the international community that next year’s general elections in Nigeria will be conducted in accordance with global best practices to further strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.
At separate meetings with the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon and British Prime Minister, David Cameron before leaving New York late Wednesday, President Jonathan reaffirmed his personal commitment to making elections in Nigeria progressively better, freer and more credible.
Jonathan said that in keeping with his administration’s dedication to openness and transparency in the conduct of public affairs, international observers will be allowed to freely monitor the 2015 elections and affirm that the elections are as free, fair and credible as his administration has promised.
He thanked Ban Ki-Moon and Cameron for their continuing support to Nigeria particularly in curbing terrorism, insurgency and violent extremism within its borders, saying the Federal Government will welcome even more assistance from Britain especially in the areas of intelligence sharing, anti-terrorism training and defence logistics.
At a later meeting with the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Margaret Chan, Jonathan expressed Nigeria’s appreciation to WHO, for the health body’s successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease.
Affirming that Nigeria was now Ebola-free, Jonathan called for greater international support to ensure that the virus is also eradicated in other west Africa countries that it continues to ravage.
“Nigeria is free of the virus now but we know that to be permanently free from it, we must remain vigilant and work with WHO and the international community to eradicate it completely from our sub-region and forestall the possibility of its re-emergence on our shores through migration,” he told Dr. Chan.
He assured her that in spite of hindrances by insurgents, terrorists and violent extremists, the Federal Government remained fully committed to eradicating polio in Nigeria in the shortest possible time.
Chan and Ban Ki Moon seized the opportunity to commend Jonathan of his exemplary leadership on Nigeria’s successful effort to stop the spread of the Ebola Virus.