President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday in Nairobi lent his
voice to the ongoing debate on whether
President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya should be tried by the International Criminal
Court (ICC) in the Hague.
Delivering an address to the Joint session of the Kenyan
Parliament on the sidelines of his state visit to that country, Jonathan
stressed that International Organisations were created to resolve problems and
not to compound them.
He said International Organisations should be seen to
resolve crisis in countries across the world and not to be seen as contributing
to problems of nations.
Specifically, Jonathan said that the insistence on trial
of Kenyatta by the ICC would further compound the political crisis which had
already been doused in Kenya.
He recalled that a general elections in Kenya in 2006
plunged the country into political turmoil, which was later resolved.
Jonathan noted that with the successful completion of the
recent peaceful Presidential elections in Kenya, the ICC should not be seen as
a body to derail the progress made in the country.
“I belief that any law whether local or international as
well as Treaties and Conventions should be seen to solve human problems and not
to compound them,’’ he said.
He called on the international community to support Kenya
in its social-economic development.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the trial of
Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto, over alleged crimes against humanity
committed before their elections had generated controversies in that country
NAN reports that on Thursday, the Kenyan Parliament were
recalled from recess to vote for the withdrawal of the country from the ICC.
The lawmakers who successfully voted in favour of the
motion, had contended that they were taking the steps in defense of Kenya
sovereignty.
However, the Global court has insisted that the trial of
Kenyatta and his Deputy Ruto would go ahead.
In a contrary opinion, Jonathan argued that the 2013
Presidential elections which brought President Kenyatta to office had
demonstrated that Kenyans were capable of resolving their problems without
interference from the international community.
“I believe I share the sentiments of the government and
people of Kenya when I say that we in Nigeria do not embrace democracy and the
rule of law in response to external pressure or demand.
“We have embraced democracy and its underpinnings such as
free, fair, credible and transparent election; rule of law; respect for human
and peoples’ rights, because they are the right things to do and they are good
for us.
“We do not seek the validation or endorsement of our
democracy outside the collective will of our people, the citizens and
electorates of our respective countries.
“Democracy is not a one-size-fits-all system; rather it
is a dynamic political system which must be operated within the particular
context it finds itself,’’ he said.
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