By Charles Kumolu
UYO — President Goodluck Jonathan has said that greater cohesion between African countries was the key to surmounting developmental challenges on the continent.

Jonathan spoke weekend, when he received the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize for Leadership LAAP, for National Cohesion and Stability In Africa, by the Millennium Excellence Foundation, MEF, at an event which held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

President Goodluck Jonathan speaking at the 54th Independence
Anniversary Interdenominational Church Service at the National Christian Center, Abuja On Sunday (29/9/14)

He was represented on the occasion by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to Sambo, Umar Sani,  Jonathan said that ‘’unity among fellow African countries would not only help stabilize the continent, but also help remedy the challenges we face, real or contrived.”

The President said Nigeria stood for the ideals of Pan-Africanism observing that “No matter how independent we may be as individual African countries, the truth was that, we are indeed more interdependent than we so often realise.

‘’We are one people from the womb of one Africa! Whatever affects one may affect the other positively or negatively.”

Jonathan further said that national boundaries should not be a clog in the fight against terrorism and other social vices, as well as diseases like the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, stressing that the surest way of defeating them, was through collective efforts.

His words: “We must again lean on cooperation, collaboration and shared experiences as we battle the degrading ills of poverty, illiteracy and underdevelopment.

“We must work for unity, we must cooperate, and we must stand together.”

President Jonathan commended Nigerians for supporting Government its pursuit of peace, equity and justice in the country noting that this support saw the country through a civil war, militancy in the Niger Delta, Ebola Virus Disease and other social upheavals, emphasizing that it was also this cohesion that would see the end of terrorism in the country.

According to him “It is to God Almighty and the resilience of our people that we come out each time stronger, more cohesive and more determined.”

Chairman of the Millennium Excellence Foundation, Ambassador Ashim Morton, speaking at the event said the MEF, sets standards of zealous principles to recognize meritorious achievements and therefore subscribes to its belief that whosoever merits praise, deserves honour. He thanked Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State for hosting the event, noting that this was the first time the event was organized outside a host country’s capital.