Acting President
Billed For Talks With US President
Nigeria’s
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan is visiting Washington, the
United States this weekend on his first foreign trip, to meet
President Barack Obama.
The two leaders would focus their discussions on ways to prevent
global terrorism, four months after a bomb attempt on a U.S.
passenger jet headed for Detroit.
Mr. Emma Niboro, presidency spokesman said Dr. Jonathan would
return home next Thursday.
Washington was the first major foreign power to publicly
congratulate Jonathan after he assumed executive powers in
February from ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua.
The United States said it was encouraged that Jonathan would
move on with electoral reforms, anti-corruption measures and
peace efforts in the restive oil- rich Niger Delta region.
In another development, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, Janet
Napolitano will be in Nigeria next week to discuss aviation
security.
Her Press Secretary, Clark Stevens, said: ’’Napolitano will
travel to Abuja, Nigeria, on April 11 at the invitation of the
Nigerian government to meet with her African counterparts and
officials from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
to discuss ways of boosting global security in the sector.’’
The meeting will be the fourth in a series of major
international meetings hosted by ICAO member states in which
Napolitano would participate to build consensus on strengthening
global aviation security and determining specific steps which
nations could take individually and collectively to protect all
passengers from threats of terrorism.
Nigeria has started to install body scanners at international
airports after requests from the United States following the
Detroit incident.
CTV/NP/Williams/Yinka
