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UN-Africa
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IN SUDDEN POLICY U-TURN, YAR'ADUA SUPPORTS US AFRICOM AFTER WHITE HOUSE VISIT Our Reporter AFTER his first meeting with the US President George W. Bush yesterday-Thursday-at the White House, President Umaru Yar'Adua said Nigeria will now partner with the US plan to establish a US Military Command in Africa, an idea that has been controversial in the continent, Empowered Newswire, a US-based Nigerian news agency, reports.
Speaking with reporters inside the Oval office, Yar'Adua with Bush flanking opened his comments by saying he was happy to be at the White House, adding, “I am highly impressed and honored to be here. I will never forget this moment in my life.”
Said Yar’Adua: “We have discussed security issues not only on Nigeria, Niger Delta, but also within the Gulf of Guinea. And we shall partner with AFRICOM not only in Nigeria but also on the continent to actualize the peace and security initiatives which is an initiative to help standby forces in each of the regional groupings of Africa.”
Although both leaders spoke on a range of issues from the electoral reform, democracy, rule of law alongside economic and social issues, Yar’Adua statement on Nigeria’s readiness to support the controversial US Africa Military Command marks the first positive comment from any Nigerian government official since the US has been trying to sell the idea to Nigeria and other African leaders.
Few weeks ago the Nigerian Council of States in a meeting in Abuja actually came out with a decision announced then by Governor Bukola Saraki that Nigeria would not be hosting the US Africa Military Command. Earlier Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe has also been known and quoted to say Nigeria was opposed to the idea and would not allow US troops in Nigeria or would the country support such anywhere in Africa.
However, US AFRICOM officials have been traveling across Africa and visited Nigeria recently to explain the idea. Last week in New York, officials of US AFRICOM also met with the foreign press in the US seeking to correct what was regarded as a misconception of the plan of the Americans to have a military command in Africa.
In his own comments, President George W. Bush who spoke first as it is customary when he receives heads of states in his office, did not mention AFRICOM but he described his meeting with Yar’Adua as a beginning of a friendly relationship. He said he was proud that President Yar’Adua visited saying “I thank you foe your heart and for your time.”
According to the US President: “We discussed a variety of issues, the kinds of things you will expect when friends meet together.” Describing Yar’Adua as articulate, the US president praised what he called the desire of president to keep the rule of law in Nigeria.
Bush added that Yar’Adua wants Nigerian “to understand that govt must be fair and govt is of the people through adherence to the rule of law and transparency.”
Bush said their discussion also included social issues like education and health, especially HIV/AIDS and Malaria.
On education Bush said President Yar’Adua expressed his determination to implement compulsory education in Nigeria for every child linking it to his own programme in the US called “No Child Left behind. He said the US will support Nigeria in that regard.
In his own comments, President Yar’Adua stated that he briefed the US leader on his govt. efforts “to anchor democracy on the rule of law, equity, transparency and accountability in the fight against corruption.” He added that he also informed Bush on his government’s zero tolerance on corruption.
He disclosed that the US president will be helping Nigeria in its quest for democracy, and in particular on the work of the Electoral Reform panel. Yar’Adua said he also asked for support and got assurance that US will support the economic reforms which he said has been on in the last 8 years.
His words: We have hope and are inspired by the US achievement and the principles that guide it. The friendship and understanding of the US will help Nigeria to make the transformation from a developing country into a developed nation.”
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