President Goodluck Jonathan late Sunday in Yaounde assured Nigerians still living in the Bakassi Peninsula of his administration’s continuous care, concern and support for their safety and well-being.
Speaking at a meeting with the Nigerian Community in Cameroon, President Jonathan dispelled fears that the Federal Government has abandoned Nigerians who remained in the peninsula after its transfer to Cameroon and will allow them to be victimized or maltreated.
The President expressed the belief that improvement in bilateral relations between the Nigerian and Cameroonian governments after the judgment of the International Court of Justice on the Bakassi dispute will also have a positive impact on relations between citizens of both countries.
“When countries disagree, their citizens also tend to disagree. But when they are friends, their citizens also follow the same path,” President Jonathan observed in his remarks to the gathering.
Responding to other issues raised at the meeting, President Jonathan said that his administration’s hard work and commitment to change have resulted in significant improvements in growth indicators such as a drop to single digit inflation, stable exchange rates and steady GDP growth.
These achievements, the President noted, will gradually translate into improvements in the country’s human development indicators in areas such as healthcare, education and reduction of poverty.
President Jonathan also said that his Administration was doing everything possible to rapidly improve the power supply situation in Nigeria. He cited the recent ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a new power plant at Zungeru as an example of such ongoing efforts.
The President praised officers and men of the Nigerian armed forces and security agencies for the effectiveness of ongoing operations to restore full security and normalcy to the three states where a state of emergency was recently declared.