President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan yesterday dared terrorists in Nigeria, saying that the continuous terrorist attacks happening in various parts of the country could not intimidate him or his administration.
The president, in his address at the ongoing 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said: “For us in Nigeria, terrorist acts, rather than intimidate, will only help to strengthen our resolve to develop appropriate national strategies and collaborate even more closely with the international community in the fight against this menace.”
He also told the General Assembly that part of Nigeria’s efforts to fight terrorism informed his signing into law the Terrorism (Prevention) Bill 2011 and the Anti-Money Laundering (Prohibition) Amendment Act on June 3, this year, stressing that the new laws not only outlined measures for the prevention and combating of acts of terrorism, but also prohibit the financing of terrorism and laundering of the proceeds of crime. ?
Promising that Nigeria will continue to work with the UN and other partners in this global fight, Jonathan noted that his administration is working closely with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) as well as relevant international bodies and friendly countries “to sharpen our response mechanisms”. ?
?According to the president, “Despite our initial optimism, the peace dividend we had hoped would accrue following the end of the Cold War is yet to materialise.The increasing use of terror in various regions of the world as a form of political action poses serious threat to international peace and security. We must win the war against terrorism because it infringes on the fundamental rights of all peoples to life and to live in safety from fear”.
Speaking on global peace, President Jonathan told the Assembly: “For too long, the international community has focused too little attention on mediation and preventive diplomacy and far too much effort and resources on military aspects of peace and security. Yet, measures to address the root cause of conflict, including dialogue and mediation, can be far more effective as means to achieving sustainable peace and stability.”
He stated further that he believed that cultivating peace and fulfilling the aims of Chapter V1 of the UN Charter required early identification and appropriate intervention in conflict situations in order to build confidence and trust, and also to preclude the eruption of violence between opposing parties.
He expressed the support of his administration for the proposal of the secretary-general to deploy a United Nations Assessment Mission to understudy the situation in the Gulf of Guinea and explore possible options for UN support and action.
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