2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES - PRESIDENT JONATHAN ASSURES

2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES - PRESIDENT JONATHAN ASSURES
President Goodluck Ebele 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, Mr. Ban Ki Moon and the British Prime Minister, Mr. 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.
The President 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 Mr. Ban Ki Moon and Mr. Cameron for their continuing support for Nigeria's effort to curb terrorism, insurgency and violent extremism within its borders, saying that 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, President Jonathan expressed Nigeria's appreciation of the support it received from  WHO for the successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease.
Affirming that Nigeria was now Ebola-free, President Jonathan called for greater international support to ensure that the virus is also eradicated in other West Africa countries that it continues to ravage.

Meeting of the United Nations Security Council - Remarks by President Jonathan

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L) WITH THE
UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON
DURING A BILATERAL MEETING AT THE ONGOING 69TH
SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
IN NEW YORK ON WEDNESDAY (24/9/14)

Remarks by
His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR
at the High Level Meeting of the United Nations Security Council

Wednesday 24th September, 2014

 PROTOCOLS

 1.              Mr President, I would like to commence by appreciating your vision in convening this timely and crucial meeting. It underpins the long-standing commitment of the United States to the high aims of international peace and security. Our appreciation also goes to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, for the clarity and depth of his briefing.

 2.              Mr President, the people of Nigeria and indeed the entire peace-loving world were horrified at the gruesome murder of two American journalists and a British aid worker by elements linked to the Islamic State (I.S). These murders typify the new face of global terrorism marked by executions, extreme brutality and impunity.

3.              Unfortunately, I.S is not alone in this despicable campaign against humanity. Al Qaeda in the Arab Maghreb, Al Shabaab in Somalia, and Boko Haram in North Eastern Nigeria share this common agenda to unleash terror, mayhem, destruction, and instability around the world.

 4.              There is no doubt that foreign fighters have added a troubling dimension to this emerging phase of terrorism. From targeted attacks by Al Qaeda a few years ago, we now have mobile bands of thousands of terrorists sweeping across vast areas, destroying lives, and even attempting to hold territory. This is unacceptable; we must act now.

 5.              Mr. President, Nigeria knows too well the destructive effects of terrorist activities. Over the past five years, we have been, and are still confronting threats posed by Boko Haram to peace and stability predominantly in the North Eastern part of our country.

6.              The costs are high: over 13,000 people have been killed, whole communities razed, and hundreds of persons kidnapped, the most prominent being the mindless kidnap of our innocent daughters from Chibok Secondary School, in North East Nigeria.

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE NIGERIAN
DELEGATION AT THE 69TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL
ASSEMBLY (UNGA) IN NEW YORK ON WEDNESDAY (24/9/14)

7.              Mr. President, as daunting as the challenge may be, we have faced it with unrelenting determination, mobilising all the resources at our disposal to ensure that the scourge of terrorism is rooted out of our nation. In addition to our counterterrorism efforts, we have evolved initiatives to alleviate the plight of the population in the affected communities.

8.              These include a holistic effort through the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) which is aimed at providing immediate relief and fast tracking the infrastructural re-development of the region.  It also has as a core goal, an integrated effort at achieving the de-radicalisation of potential terrorist recruits.

THE WORLD MUST ACT URGENTLY TO STOP TERRORISM

THE WORLD MUST ACT URGENTLY TO STOP TROUBLING NEW PHASE OF GLOBAL TERRORISM- PRESIDENT JONATHAN TELLS UN SECURITY COUNCIL
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said Wednesday in New York that the world must act immediately to stop the troubling new phenomenon of terrorists and foreign fighters attacking and trying to hold parts of sovereign nations.

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
NIGERIAN DELEGATION AT THE 69TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY (UNGA) IN NEW YORK ON WEDNESDAY (24/9/14)

Addressing the United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting on the Threat of Terrorism to Global Peace and Security, President Jonathan said that the international community must also do more to support countries like Nigeria which are in the frontline of the war against terrorism.
"There is no doubt that foreign fighters have added a troubling dimension to this emerging phase of terrorism. From targeted attacks by Al Qaeda a few years ago, we now have mobile bands of thousands of terrorists sweeping across vast areas, destroying lives, and even attempting to hold territory. This is unacceptable; we must act now.
"We must capitalize on the commitment and evident determination of the Security Council to seek more innovative responses to the threat of terrorism and in particular to the growing menace of foreign fighters.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN CALLS FOR FAST-TRACKING OF UNITED NATIONS REFORMS

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
NIGERIAN DELEGATION AT THE 69TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY (UNGA) IN NEW YORK ON WEDNESDAY (24/9/14)

PRESIDENT JONATHAN CALLS FOR FAST-TRACKING OF UNITED NATIONS REFORMS
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan declared Wednesday in New York that pressing challenges to global peace and security have made it imperative that urgent action be taken on the reformation of United Nations Security Council.

Delivering Nigeria's annual statement to the United Nations General Assembly, President Jonathan also called for an urgent review of United Nations peacekeeping operations across the world.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN TO MEET OBAMA, BAN KI MOON AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK

President Goodluck Jonathan and
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon

PRESIDENT JONATHAN TO MEET OBAMA, BAN KI MOON AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan left Abuja today en route to New York for the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

While in New York, President Jonathan will attend receptions hosted by President Barack Obama of the United States and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon.

The President will address the United Nations Security Council High-Level Session on Threats to International Peace and Security Caused By Terrorist Acts and present Nigeria's Statement to the General Assembly on Wednesday, September 24, 2014.

President Jonathan is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Mr. Ban Ki Moon and the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron.

The President will stop over in London for a brief private visit before proceeding to New York.

He is expected back in Abuja on Thursday.

Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 21, 2014

PHOTOS: PRESIDENT JONATHAN'S PARTICIPATION AT UNGA

President Jonathan and AU Chairman Boni Yayi of Benin at
an ECOWAS Meeting on Mali held on the sidelines of the UN General
Assembly in New York Yesterday.


President Jonathan addressing the UN General Assembly in
New York Yesterday.







President Jonathan being welcomed to a ceremony to mark
Nigeria's ascension to three international treaties at the United
Nations Headquarters in New York yesterday.