Abuja — President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday at the State House, Abuja, received a special message from embattled Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
Gaddafi's Foreign Affairs Minister, Abdullahi Oubaidi, brought the message to the Aso Rock Villa.
The envoy met with Jonathan behind closed doors. The visit may, however, not be unconnected with Gaddafi's quest for support from Nigeria, a country he had only recently suggested should be Balkanised along religious lines to avert recurrent crises.
Ironically, Libya is currently in the throes of a civil war as rebel militias determined to oust Gaddafi from power and backed by western powers, are closing in on the country's capital, Tripoli.
Jonathan, however, told the Libyan envoy that Gaddafi's fate would be discussed at the forthcoming African Union (AU) summit in Malabo.
Also on Friday, Jonathan welcomed the commitment of the United Kingdom (UK) to reinvigorate bilateral relations with Nigeria.
He spoke when he granted audience to the British Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell.
"Nigeria is pleased at the commitment to improve relations, especially economic and trade relations," said Jonathan, who noted that Mitchell's visit was the first by a cabinet minister from the UK in nearly five years.
He recalled Nigeria's historic relationship with Britain, as well as its key role in Africa, and reassured Mitchell of the country's commitment to improving the economy in order to raise the living standards of citizens.
The President expressed appreciation for Britain's promise to support Nigeria's efforts at economic development and security sector reform, urging that access to European markets would make a great difference.
The UK minister also called on Vice President Namadi Sambo, who equally pressed for increased partnership and cooperation between the UK and Nigeria particularly in the areas of enhanced economic, cultural, historical and commercial ties.
"Such partnership will enable us achieve great objectives, create jobs and transform our economy to one that will support growth
"There are many strong programmes to ensure that we create the necessary enabling environment to ensure attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) and ensuring economic development particularly in the areas of building of power plants, transmission lines and distribution networks all over the country, increased capacity of gas production, construction of hydro multi-purpose dams to provide irrigation for farming, building of more refineries and petro-chemical industries, provision of good road transportation networks, rehabilitation of abandoned railway lines amongst others," Sambo said.
Mitchell had disclosed that the United Kingdom wanted to reinvigorate relations with Nigeria through stronger economic cooperation, and support for better basic services and security sector reform.
He assured of his country's deep commitment towards supporting Nigeria's economic reforms and ongoing privatisation efforts, noting that it is the private sector that creates jobs not the government.
By Chesa Chesa
Daily Independent
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