Nigeria welcomes China's support on abducted girls
china.org.cn / chinagate.cn, May 14, 2014 Adjust font size:
Nigeria's main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it welcomed the offer of assistance by China and other countries to help find the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno, on April 14.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, Nigeria, May 7, 2014. [gov.cn] |
The support being offered by the countries and other organizations confirmed the party's belief that the war against terrorism was a global battle that needed all hands to be on deck, Bisi Akande, Interim National Chairman of the party told a press conference in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub.
Premier Li Keqiang had on Wednesday assured President Goodluck Jonathan that China will support Nigeria's fight against terrorism in every possible way, including the training of military personnel for anti-insurgency operations.
During an audience with President Jonathan, Premier Li Keqiang promised that his country will make any useful information acquired by its satellites and intelligence services available to Nigeria's security agencies.
Akande said despite the foreign support, however, the Nigerian Government should continue to do more to ensure the security and safety of its citizens.
He said the party believed that the Nigerian military had the ability to be more successful in the fight against insurgency if it was better equipped.
Akande said the APC remained resolute that Nigeria could overcome the Boko Haram sect if everyone came together to fight the common enemy.
He said the party was advocating a multifaceted strategy that the Nigerian Government could also adopt in fighting the battle and getting victory.
Akande said the APC believed that the government should develop or publish a Counter-Terrorism Strategy and build a new intelligence gathering infrastructure.
The opposition leader told reporters that there was a need to improve contingency planning and also align military with political (negotiated) solutions.
According to him, government should also solicit the operational involvement and assistance of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU).
He said that includes deploying multinational security operations across the Sahel to track down Boko Haram's operational chain.
He also called for an economic development plan for Northern Nigeria and the involvement of civilian peace building organizations in the design of peace building initiatives for the North-East.
