President Goodluck Jonathan has admonished African leaders to take fundamental steps to reduce the cost of election in order to expedite rapid growth.
Jonathan gave this charge, while delivering his address at the events marking the 100 years of the amalgamation of Nigeria held at the International Conference Center in Abuja yesterday.
According to the president Africa’s brighter future can only occur, if “we improve governance and accountability systems. We must reduce the cost of governance and increase more of the national resources on the governed.
“In particular, we need to reduce the cost of elections and electioneering and shift greater focus on ensuring that the dividends of democracy are delivered to our peoples,” he said.
He however, stressed that democracy alone is not enough adding that African leaders must remain vigilant and look into “our peculiar situation in Africa and identify critical factors that belies the extremism and terrorism that threatens our collective security.
President Jonathan restated his determination to crush the Boko Haram terrorism threatening the northern parts of Nigeria.
Denouncing the killing of over 40 students in Yobe state on Tuesday by the Boko Haram, the president said: “This gruesome and mindless act of savagery is not Nigerian.
“It is not African. Let me assure all Nigerians that we will spare no resource in bringing those murderers to justice.
“Terrorism which is a global menace has extended its tentacles to Africa and indeed Nigeria,” he said.
The theme of the Centenary was “Human Security, Peace and Development: An Agenda for Africa in the 21st century”, which was encapsulated to mark the 100 years of amalgamation of Nigeria.
He advised the African leaders to work with the Nigerian government to tackle cross-border crime stressing that Africa needs “collective action for positive transformation.”
