Nigerian President, ECOWAS commiserate with Guinea Bissau
Uche Aneke and Ugo Okoro, Abuja

The Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has offered his condolence to President Bacai’s family and the government and people of Guinea-Bissau and called on the people to continue to safeguard the peace and stability in their country even in the face of the death of the country’s president.

He stated that one way of achieving this was by ensuring an orderly transition of power that is in keeping with the country’s constitutional order and the rule of law.

He assured the country of the continued support of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and member-states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

Also, ECOWAS in a statement said: “On this sad occasion, the President of the ECOWAS Commission would like to respectfully call on all citizens of Guinea Bissau to pay homage and merited tribute to the memory of the late Sanha by fostering greater national cohesion and understanding, and ensuring a peaceful transition as the country goes through the constitutional process of selecting a new President.”

The statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the commission, Victor Gbeho, pointed out that “President Bacai Sanha dedicated his entire life to the liberation and nation-building of his beloved country, Guinea Bissau. He took office as a democratically-elected President in September 2009 at a most difficult period in the life of the young nation, and provided exemplary leadership that contributed in no small measure to the stabilization of the political situation.”

The commission commended his efforts in West Africa, stressing that “during his regime, President Bacai Sanha took great interest in the fate and fortunes of ECOWAS, and was a regular participant in the high-level meetings of the Authority, in which he made invaluable contributions.”

Guinea-Bissau's President Malam Bacai Sanha died in hospital in Paris, according to a statement on national radio.

Williams