President Goodluck Jonathan, who is on a visit to Jamaica, yesterday challenged the black race to direct attention to the fight against poverty, diseases, ethnic conflicts and underdevelopment.
Addressing the Jamaican parliament on the occasion of that country’s 50th Independence anniversary in Kingston, President Jonathan said the black race now has its destiny in its hands and must take the best advantage of the situation.
He said Nigeria was prepared to join forces with other black nations particularly Jamaica to get a better deal for the black people.
He said if past African leaders and blacks in the diaspora took it upon themselves to break the shackles of colonialism in the continent and other places, the present generation of leaders should consider it “a duty and a responsibility to create, nurture and sustain an environment under which future generations have no other option but to prosper and excel.”
This, according to him, can only be achieved through the consolidation of democracy and good governance.
He said: “Africa is free of colonialism but not totally free because of its economic dependence on others. We, therefore, still have our work well-defined for us: we must be committed not only to liberating ourselves from economic woes but also to work with other counterparts, the developing nations of the world, to achieve economically what we have achieved politically.
“In a highly globalized and competitive world, states are forming strong regional economic blocs. To promote trade and investments, boundaries are beginning to get narrower and narrower everyday. It is for the same reason that we must support one another in tackling the scourge of imbalances in the prevailing global order. As black people, with a common ancestry, we must unite.
“We must unite to fight poverty.
“ We must unite to fight hunger
“We must unite to fight diseases
“We must unite to fight illiteracy
“We must unite to fight bad governance and electoral malpractices
“We must unite to fight ethnic conflicts
“We must unite to fight dictatorial regimes in Africa
“We must unite to fight terrorism.
“We must unite to secure a place of pride for the black man in a modern and technology-driven world.”
He said Nigeria is willing to work with Jamaica on “new trends of global economic slowdown and security concerns,” adding: “ These are global issues of our time. Our roles must be complementary. Nigeria and Jamaica must work together to make a difference and increase the fortunes of our people. As leaders, we cannot afford to disappoint our people and future generations.
“There is a unifying vision that Nigeria and Jamaica share. There is ample scope for even greater and more functional co-operation between our two countries. The opportunities for increased trade and investments are immense. We must take advantage of them to build and strengthen our ties. Jamaica was one of the first countries to which Nigeria sent her first set of Technical Aid Volunteers in 1989. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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