Jonathan Warns Against Coup In Niger

Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday told the president of Niger Republic, Mahamadou Issoufou, that the sub-region would not accept a coup in that country.

Jonathan, who was reacting to reports of an attempted coup in Niger, said that the sub-region would not tolerate such intervention in Niger or anywhere else in West Africa.

He, however, assured the Nigerien president that his country would be re-admitted to full membership and participation in the sub-regional body’s activities during the next summit, since complete democracy had been restored to Niger.

The ECOWAS chairman also hinted that Nigeria would take definite steps to strengthen security cooperation with all her neighbours, in order to check trans-border crime and terrorism.

Jonathan who sounded this warning at the opening of bilateral talks between delegations of the two nations at the State House, Abuja, said, “Terrorism and trans-border crime pose a serious security threat to all our countries, so we will strengthen border patrols and other areas of cooperation with our neighbours, to ensure the safety of our citizens”.

On food security for the two countries, Jonathan told President Issoufou that Nigeria had plenty of gas and was going to establish plants to produce fertiliser suitable for the different types of soil in the country, and invited Niger to liaise with relevant officials to ensure that appropriate fertiliser was produced for his country.

Power, water supply, agriculture, rail transport and the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission were other issues discussed in the meeting .

Earlier, Issoufou had told President Jonathan that his country was concerned about the proliferation of small arms that had threatened security in the sub-region.

According to him, the agreements signed under the auspices of the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission, which include electricity, water supply for agriculture, information, desert encroachment and joint border patrol, should be implemented without delay.

Issoufou said Niger would engage fully in exportation of crude oil by the end of this year, even as northern states of Nigeria may start receiving their supply of petroleum products from a refinery under construction in Zinder, Niger Republic.

He said he was grateful to President Jonathan for the assistance given by Nigeria to make sure that his country returned to democratic rule.