Liberian President Pays Visit to Nigeria

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, August 23, 2003

Liberian President Pays Visit to Nigeria

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Liberian President Moses Blah arrived in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Thursday evening to pay "a big thank-you" visit to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, the News Agency of Nigeria reported Friday.

"We are here to say a big thank you for saving our country once again, Liberians will remain ever grateful to you and your country," Blah said, adding that Nigeria was surely his country's "big brother."

According the Liberian president, since the arrival of the Nigerian peacekeeping troops, the shops re-opened while peace and security was fast returning to the war-torn country.

"Today the guns are silent and the supermarkets are open and peace is returning to our country," Blah said.

He extended a special invitation to Obasanjo to visit Liberia so "that our people can see you and thank you."

The Liberian president said that the history of Liberia "will not be complete without mention of the great contributions by Nigeria."

Earlier, Nigerian President Obasanjo told Blah to see himself as having been given a special place in the history of his country, adding "It is not how long but how well you lead your people."

He said that Blah had been instrumental to a peaceful transition in Liberia and assured him of Nigeria's continued brotherhood and goodwill.

He prayed that the peace and tranquility that was returning in Liberia would endure and lead to "a great leap in development, solidarity, harmony, growth and prosperity for Liberians."

Obasanjo thanked Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Chairman and Ghana's President John Kufuor and other leaders in the West African sub-region, whom, he said, had put in their best for Liberia.

He paid glowing tributes to Nigerian troops who had made great sacrifices for their brothers and sisters in Liberia.

The president also thanked other nations that gave ECOWAS the logistics support required to move its troops into Liberia.

Obasanjo commended the role of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan for being a worthy son of the sub-region and the continent.

The Liberian president who took over from Charles Taylor about two weeks ago was accompanied to the state house by ECOWAS Secretary General Mohamed ibn Chambas, ECOWAS Chief Mediator on Liberia Abdulsalami Abubakar, two Liberian cabinet ministers and Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Olu Adeniji.

Blah will hand over to a new head of Liberia's interim government Jude Bryant in October who will prepare for elections before a new government is sworn in 2006.

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