NIGERIANS resident in the Bakassi Peninsula will continue to enjoy the protection and care of the Nigerian government, President Goodluck Jonathan has said.
President Jonathan said this on a visit to the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde, where he met with and addressed Nigerians based in the country.
Th president dispelled the notion that his Administration has neglected the people of Bakassi and expressed the belief that improvement in bilateral relations between the Nigerian and Cameroonian governments will also have a positive impact on relations between citizens of both countries.
The bi-lateral agreement between the two countries come after the ruling of the International Court of Justice over the disputed oil rich peninsula of Bakassi.
“When countries disagree, their citizens also tend to disagree. But when they are friends, their citizens also follow the same path,” Mr. Jonathan said, stressing the importance of good, friendly relations between the two countries.
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.