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On Wednesday April 14, 2010, on the heels of President Obama’s two-day nuclear summit attended by leaders from over forty-seven countries, President Jonathan visited the Congressional Black Caucus during his four-day visit to the United States. Issues of international trade and the Nigerian economy were discussed during this strategic meeting which took place in the U.S. Capitol Building.
U. S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-01-IL) and his co-hosts, Africa Partnership for Economic Growth Caucus (APEGc) Co-Chair, U. S. Rep. Donald L. Payne (D-10-NJ), Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman, Barbara Lee (D-9-CA), convened an historic gathering to discuss international trade, economic security and related issues with His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The meeting marked the latest of a series of meetings and legislative activity, undertaken by Messrs. Rush and Payne, aimed at strengthening cultural, economic and international trade relations between the United States and nations on the continent of Africa.
Declaring open the meeting, Rep. Rush welcomed the President and members of his entourage to the "The People's House" and was particularly pleased to have Ufo Eric-Atuanya, a former staffer of Capitol Hill and acknowledged his role in helping the meeting take place.
Rush said, “Unlike any other country on the continent of Africa, Nigeria is the one country that could one day, in the very near future, emerge as a global economic power leading the way in sustainable economic development”.
He went on to express the hope felt by the CBC as a result of Nigeria’s amnesty program and the promise of an equitable share of oil revenues to host communities in the oil-rich, Niger Delta region. “These developments, he remarked, help bring stability and the hope for a peaceful and prosperous future in this region, and indeed, for all of Nigeria”.
Rep. Rush further stated that said the historic Nigeria Petroleum Industry Bill, when passed into law and subsequent implementation, would reflect the spirit and substance of many of the recommendations of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) report in 2005. That legislation includes local content, transparency and accountability, as well as equitable revenue sharing between the federal government, state and local communities.
The President was urged to develop economic ties and security, address climate change, use technology to further diversify the Nigerian economy, and to eradicate corruption, poverty and disease on the continent of Africa. He was also urged to ensure a peaceful transfer of power from his administration to the next.
The CBC pledged their support in finding ways to unite common interests in a way that benefits the people of Nigeria and the United States and commended the leadership of the Mr. Goodluck Jonathan for the quality of the team he has surrounded himself with to embark on this historic path. They urged the President to work hard so the statement that “Nigeria is a lion dormant" will be turned into "Nigeria is a lion awake.” “And with Nigeria thriving and economically vibrant’, Rush said towards the end of his remarks, “all of Africa will rise”.
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