By Lawrence Olaoye
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday at the United Nations General Assembly in the United States of America (USA) assured world leaders that his government would conduct a free and fair election in 2015.
As a demonstration of his openness and transparency, the President said international observers would be given unfettered access into the country to observe and monitor the elections, Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati disclosed in a statement made available to newsmen.
The President, according to Abati, made the commitment at separate meetings with 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,” he stated.
“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.
“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.
The President, he added, also assured her that in spite of hindrances by insurgents, terrorists and violent extremists, the Federal Government remained fully committed to eradicating polio from Nigeria in the shortest possible time.
“Dr. Chan and Mr. Ban Ki Moon seized the opportunity of their meeting with President Jonathan to commend his exemplary leadership on Nigeria’s successful effort to stop the spreading of the Ebola Virus,” he stated.
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