*Britain, Commonwealth pledge security assistance
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, that he would not interfere with the judicial trial of terrorism suspects in Nigeria.
In reciprocity, Britain too has pledged to assist Nigeria to tackle security problems facing all the regions that make up the country.
This is as the Commonwealth has also indicated its readiness to assist Nigeria to solve the myriad of problems including terrorism, general insecurity, climate change, facing it.
Media Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, in a release disclosed that President Buhari and PM Johnson Thursday appraised the war against different forms of terrorism in Nigeria, and agreed that the judicial process be allowed to run its course.
Holding bilateral talks at the sidelines of the Global Education Summit in London, the two leaders said it was important that the judicial process ran without interference, no matter who was involved.
President Buhari briefed the Prime Minister on Nigeria’s power needs and efforts being made, as well as initiatives geared at achieving food security.
He also reviewed the security situation in the different regions of the country, while PM Johnson pledged Britain’s preparedness to lend a helping hand.
“We are available to help,” Johnson said.
The two leaders equally discussed how to increase trade between the two countries, develop solar and wind power, leadership of the Commonwealth going forward and other matters of mutual interest.
Relatedly, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland, pledged the help of the Commonwealth on Thursday during a bilateral meeting with President Buhari at the sidelines of the summit.
Adesina, in yet another release, listed the areas the Commonwealth Scribe promised to assist Nigeria to include countering violent extremism, trade, and modalities to implement the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
She stressed that since President Buhari was the Champion for Anti-Corruption in Africa, the Commonwealth has developed anti-corruption benchmark tools, and would like to work with Nigeria in both public and private sectors.
Baroness Scotland said the Commonwealth had developed programmes on agribusiness, adding value to agriculture products for young people to get involved, climate change, criminal justice reforms, police reforms, and security, inviting Nigeria to benefit from technical assistance that could be provided.
Buhari, while responding said, Nigeria would be glad to receive support from the Commonwealth in diverse areas of needs and challenges.
According to him, Nigeria was doing a lot to address food security through heavy investment in agriculture, and the security issues confronting the country in different regions and therefore welcomed the offer of assistance by the Commonwealth scribe.
