Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan, here on Tuesday, pledged that efforts to establish a special fund for the development of transportation and energy infrastructure in the West- African sub-region would receive the full support of the country, a news release from the Presidency disclosed.
In an audience with Mrs. Marie Delesse Schwisenberg, an envoy of President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote D’Ivoire who has been mandated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to oversee the establishment of the fund, Jonathan said Nigeria would do all it could to accelerate the setting up of the fund because of the centrality of energy and transportation issues to development in Africa.
The President said it was the responsibility of all leaders of ECOWAS member-nations to support the regional organization’s decision to establish the fund, adding that he would hold further consultations with Gbagbo soon on what needed to be done to ensure that it became operational in the shortest possible time.
“This is a regional project. President Gbagbo is only helping to move it forward and it is the responsibility of other leaders to help and support him,” Jonathan remarked.
He urged the envoy to convey Nigeria’s appreciation to Gbagbo for the work he had done so far on the fund’ establishment and also seized the opportunity of the envoy’s visit to congratulate Gbagbo and all Ivorians on their country’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations, scheduled for 7 August.
