Encourage Africans to love one another, Goodluck Jonathan

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan making a speech at Sao Tome on Thursday, September 5th, 2019

Encourage Africans to love one another—Goodluck Jonathan

Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has advised African leaders to encourage Africans to love one another. This is a part of Jonathan’s message at the African Peace Summit on Thursday in Sao Tome.

This is coming on the heels of xenophobic attack in South Africa which sparked off diplomatic row across Africa and the world.

ALSO READ: South Africa shuts Nigerian embassy, Nigeria issues movement advisory 

Jonathan said: “To make meaningful progress, Africans must be encouraged to treat one another as brothers and sisters, in love and unity. Relations within and between nations should never be allowed to degenerate to a level where citizens will resort to self-help and visit violence on fellow Africans and their legitimate business interests. Growth and development can only be cultivated and sustained when leaders ensure that the rights and freedoms of citizens as well as migrants are respected and protected.

In a statement released on his Facebook page, Jonathan also noted: “As we continue to hold this conversation on the imperatives for ‘Peace, Unity and Sustainable Development’ for Africa, let me affirm that African leaders must avoid situations where citizens are confronted with agonizing realities of despair; where justice is dispensed at the discretion of those in authority. I therefore, submit that good governance, where peace and security reign, is the pathway to a peaceful continent.

For peace to thrive, we must first build hope in the lives of the people because hope inspires love, love promotes peace, peace engenders  

justice while justice guarantees freedom and trust. These universal virtues are central to our quest for a peaceful and prosperous continent.

Excerpt of my speech at the Summit of Peace, Unity and Sustainable Development,  in Sao Tome yesterday. 

-GEJ”