7-Year Single Tenure: I Was Misunderstood, Says Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said his proposed seven-year single tenure for Nigeria's President was misunderstood by those who thought he wanted to extend his tenure beyond 2015.Jonathan, who met with the visiting French Foreign Minister, Mr. Alain Juppe, at the Presidential Villa Abuja, said the seven-year tenure proposal was rather informed by 'the need for an incumbent President to focus maximum attention on the execution of his development programmes, instead of expending vital energy on re-election issues, though this has been misunderstood to mean I want additional seven years.'Jonathan noted that democratic political stability has returned to Africa, although in some African countries, the major challenge still remains the insistence by the incumbents to either stay in power beyond constitutional mandates, or to enthrone hand-picked successors.Pointing out that progress is being made across the continent and that Africa's success stories should be encouraged, the President thanked French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, for his consistent support and friendship to Nigeria and Africa, adding that his (Sarkozy's) 'robust support and friendship' had enabled Nigeria and ECOWAS to successfully restore peace in Cote d'Ivoire.Jonathan stated that 'we could not have succeeded in restoring peace in Cote d'Ivoire without President Sarkozy's support', adding that the intervention in Cote D'Ivoire has also enabled stability and successful elections to be held in Liberia.President Jonathan told Mr. Juppe that his administration is working hard to check terrorism and piracy,as part of efforts to provide a sustainable environment for trade and investments in the country, and appealed for French support to check this menace.Earlier, Mr. Alain Juppe, the French Foreign Minister, said he held 'very constructive' discussions with his Nigerian counterpart, in the areas of agriculture, energy, aviation and mining.He said France is committed to supporting and ensuring development in Africa, though there are concerns about political and economic stability as well as piracy and terrorist activities in some parts of the continent.
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