NIGERIA and the European Union (EU) have agreed to jointly support both national and regional strategies to combat security challenges.

The development is coming as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim expressed deep concern about insecurity in the country, calling on all Nigerians to support government’s efforts at tackling the menace.

The security challenges identified yesterday at the end of the third Nigeria-EU ministerial meeting in Abuja include terrorism, organised crime, violent extremism, radicalisation as well as the un-intended consequences of the Arab spring on the Sahel region.

In a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day meeting, both parties also categorised the security challenges in Nigeria and West Africa as “serious”. The Nigerian chief of party was Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru while visiting Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark  Mr.  Villy Soevndal who is also the EU president, led the EU side of the table.

On bilateral issues, both parties took decisions in the area of peace and security, trade, investment and the Economic Partnership Agreement, energy and mining, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), democracy, good governance, human rights and migration.

International issues included global finance and economic crisis, climate change and Rio+20, while food crisis in the Sahel region as well as security threats in West Africa topped the regional matters appraised yesterday.

Both parties maintained that they shared the same analyses as to peace and security and development challenges in northern Nigeria and in particular the threat of the extremist group, the Boko Haram. In this regard, they agreed to “engage experts with a view to identifying a possible action plan and to enhance their cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism while strengthening efforts in addressing the root causes of the security challenge in the north.”

Anyim who delivered a lecture to security officers at the Institute of Security Studies, Bwari, Abuja yesterday, noted that the security of the country is concern of everybody and the security agencies have to justify the huge investment of the Federal Government.

He said: “We regard the security of all citizens as our highest duty. That duty and the obligation to preserve the integrity, security and authority of the nation are the cornerstones for the transformation of Nigeria.

“You are the guardians of the nation’s security. By training and doctrine, you are pledged to protect the interest and the authority of the state. Your organisations are the silent choir that keep vigil so that others can work by day and sleep at night. You gather and process the information that make it possible to identify the enemies that plot evil; and to quietly abort their dark schemes.

“Also, the nation relies on your services to know when and how to raise its shields, to point its spears and land the blows on those that seek to subvert it or harm its citizens.”

-Guardian

Posted by admin on Feb 9 2012. Filed under Africa & World Politics, Latest Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry