EU pledges 15m euros to boost Nigerian police

The European Union yesterday announced a programme of 15 million euro aimed at reinforcing the security capabilities of the Nigerian police forces.
EU President, Jose Manuel Barroso, who met with President Goodluck Jonathan on the sideline of the one day summit on “Human Security, Peace and Development: Agenda for 21^st century Africa,” discussed bilateral and regional issues. Barroso reiterated his invitation to President Jonathan to attend the EU-Africa summit holding in April.

Earlier, he had expressed condolences and solidarity with Nigeria, following the terrorist attack in Yobe.
World leaders who attended the summit condemned the state of insecurity in the country. They particularly condemned the Yobe killings of students of the Federal Government College by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
French President, Francois Hollande, in his remarks, said France would always be ready to help combat extremism in defence of democracy. Hollande said without stability in Nigeria, there is no stability in Africa, pledging the assistance of France in the fight against terrorism in the country.
“We will always stand ready not only to provide our political support, but our help every time you need it because the struggle against terrorism is also the struggle for democracy,” he said, adding that there was reason for hope in the county and the entire Africa.
Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh, who received a standing ovation for his remarks on the state of insecurity in the country, appealed to all Nigerians to reconcile their differences peacefully and maintain Nigeria as a strong and unified power house of black Africa.
“There is no country in the world that is comprised of one region, one religion and one ethnic group. The beauty of Nigeria and any country for that matter lies in her cultural, religious and regional and diversity. Our diversity should be a source of strength, unity and pride and not division, weakness and violence,” he said.
In his remarks, Briton’s Foreign Office Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds stated that if African nations are to avoid in the next century the mistakes European nations made over the last 100 years, then ultimately, African leaders must make the right choices.
“‎It is no exaggeration that the leaders here today hold in their hands the fate of possibly 1 billion people and their prosperity,” he stressed.