Terror attacks: Jonathan, African leaders consider plan of action

■ ‘President not booed in South Africa over Chibok girls’
In his continued efforts at tackling the menace of insurgency in Nigeria, President  Goodluck Jonathan at  the weekend met with his counterparts from South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Congo, Kenya, Uganda and Cote’D’Ivoire on the issue of terrorism on the continent.
Disclosing this to correspondents in Abuja, Presidential Spokesperson, Dr Reuben Abati said the heads of government who met in South Africa on the sideline of the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma for a second term, discussed modalities for setting a stronger framework for cooperation and partnership amongst African states to deal with the menace of insurgency.
He said that participants at the meeting recognised  the fact that no one country can on its own deal with the challenges of terrorism in Africa and that what is required is not a country or regional approach but a continental approach, which requires the cooperation of all African states.
Abati said the heads of government therefore set up a committee with  the members drawn from ministers from selected his perceived mishancountries who would work together under the  leadership of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia and come up with a plan of action that would be tabled before the African Union Summit taking place in Equatorial Guinea between June 25 and June 26.
He said, “The other thing to note of course about this meeting is that again it puts the issue of  terrorism in Nigeria and other African countries in the front burner.
Meanwhile, Abati has described as untrue and unfair media reports that President Jonathan was  booed in Pretoria, over handling of the case of over 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State.
He said the reports were an ongoing attempt to throw just anything at the present administration in  an attempt to discredit it.
He said, “It is unfortunate on our arrival, I read one or two reports alleging that the President was  jeered at the inauguration ceremony.
“This is absolutely untrue and those who are peddling that kind of misinformation are being unfair, they are being uncharitable and it fits into an ongoing attempt to throw just about anything at this administration in attempt to discredit the administration.