Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday hosted Ghanaian President Dramani Mahama at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Both leaders met behind closed doors for about three hours.
Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, Mahama said that they discussed bilateral issues and security in the sub-region.
"As you know, Nigeria and Ghana are close and we are bound together by historical links; we are two people yet one and the same.
"We experienced the same colonialism, we have the same culture and eat similar foods; we have to continue to discuss how we can strengthen our bilateral cooperation.''
Mahama said that although he knew Jonathan very well before now "it is important that I come to pay my respect to him''.
"We discussed security issues and how to make sure that the West African sub-region is safe, so that we can continue to pursue our integration and economic cooperation.''
The Ghanaian president said that he also used the opportunity of the visit to thank Jonathan for taking time out to attend the funeral of Attah-Mills, his predecessor.
"We expressed our sincere appreciation to him for the solidarity that he showed us and the solidarity the people of Nigeria showed us.
"I want to thank President Jonathan for his hospitality since we arrived this afternoon.''
In attendance at the meeting were Governors Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State.
The Chairman of Globacom, Chief Mike Adenuga and Nigeria's High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Ademola Onafowokan, were also in attendance. (NAN)
Vanguard Nigeria