*Says it’s the best example Nigeria can give to stop coups in West Africa
*Insists FG will soon overcome security challenges
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari for the umpteenth time pledged his government’s commitment towards conducting a credible general election during the first quarter of 2023 in Nigeria.
Buhari also painted a brighter picture of the security situation in Nigeria, saying with the renewed efforts of the military and other security agencies, insecurity will soon be a thing of the past in the country.
The president expressed concern at the current rating of the African continent which placed it at the end of the global development index.
Buhari, who spoke yesterday at the townhall meeting with Nigerians in the diaspora, in New York, reiterated his administration’s commitment to free, fair and transparent elections in 2023.
According to him, this is the only way Nigeria can continue to “set the right example for the rest of Africa and hopefully stop the recourse to unconstitutional changes of governments in our sub-region and the rest of the African Continent.”
He commended Nigerians living in the United States for the exemplary roles they are playing in their different areas of endeavour, urging them to continue in that line to earn the respect of their hosts.
He said: “It is gratifying for me to note that many Nigerians in the USA have continued to excel in their careers leading to some being appointed into the cabinet of His Excellency President Joe Biden.
“Similarly, many have been elected and appointed into various responsible and competitive positions in the United States of America. I congratulate those who have brought honours and pride to our country. I thank and commend them for their respective successes as I equally urge them to demonstrate the highest sense of responsibilities in order that they continue to remain reference points of excellence as they serve human kind in this country.
“As always, I wish to emphasise the absolute necessity for each and every one of you to continue to remain law-abiding as you live in the United States of America and comport yourselves in such exemplary manners that should earn you the privilege of reference as good Ambassadors of Nigeria.”
The president said the administration created the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to serve as a bridge between them and the country in the developmental agenda with the expectation that they will give back to the country:
“As our Diaspora Ambassadors, we expect your willingness to ‘give back’ to Nigeria some of your resources, talents, skills and global exposure in the development of our great country, Nigeria.”
He gave assurances that the government will continue to act in their interests whenever the need arises, citing recent evacuations in Libya, South Africa, and recently in Ukraine. He added that he had also approved the same in UAE and India.
President Buhari commended them for diaspora remittances which stood at $20 billion dollars in 2021, an amount four times the Foreign Direct Investment in the same period, as well as their investments in various sectors of the Nigerian economy such as Healthcare, Agriculture, Education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Housing and Real Estate, Transportation, Oil and Gas.
The 15 representatives of Nigerians in the US who visited the President are: Bobby Digi Olisa, an American born Nigerian, current President of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, New York, co-owns an international restaurant and a medical clinic in his community; Philip H. Moses, from Kaduna State; Dr. Yetunde Odugbesan-Omede, who is a Professor of Global Affairs and Politics; and Wale Adelagunja, Chairman, Council for Global Alliance (C-Glo), among others.
Buhari: Nigeria will Soon Overcome Security Challenge
Meanwhile, President Buhari has declared that with the renewed efforts of the military and other security agencies, insecurity will soon be a thing of the past in the country.
Speaking in New York during a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Ireland, Micheal Martin, President Buhari said, “in the past few months, with new platforms and boosted morale among the security forces, Nigeria is moving steadily in the direction of overcoming its insecurity.
“We will continue to partner with nations across the globe especially in the use of technology so that Nigeria can learn something useful,” he added.
He stressed that Nigeria would continue to do its best to sustain the relationship with Ireland if not improve on it, especially on the level of education, knowing that many Nigerians are doing well in Ireland, schooling and working there.
PM Martin had told the Nigerian leader that Ireland was looking for ways to increase the level of relations with the country, even as Nigeria remains Ireland’s largest trading partner in Africa.
He expressed the hope that his country would move into other areas like the deployment of technology, to help Nigeria overcome its challenges in health and security.
He added that Europe and the world now need to look elsewhere for sources of energy as the war in Ukraine has highlighted.
At another meeting with the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President Buhari canvassed for a closer partnership with Nigeria in education, health, security as well as non-oil and gas sectors.
On his part, PM Mitsotakis told President Buhari that “Greece possessed the technological know-how in security, surveillance, as well as intelligence gathering and utilisation and was in a position to assist Nigeria” noting that, “though the technology is not cheap, it is the best way to go as there is no alternative to peace.”
He added that he would put together a business delegation with health experts, education as well as oil and gas to visit and interface with the private sector in Nigeria to look at parameters under which they can come in.
The prime minister thereafter extended an invitation to President Buhari to visit Greece before the end of his tenure.
In another development, President Buhari has expressed concern at the current rating of the African continent which placed it at the end of the global development index.
He spoke in New York in his capacity as the African Union Champion on efforts to eliminate corruption in the continent at a High-Level side event on ”Food Security Response: Combating Illicit Financial Flows and Securing Asset Returns for Sustainable Development,” on the margins of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly.
Buhari stressed that over the years, Africa has come to the painful realisation of how deeply embedded corruption has become in the countries and continent, as well as how corrosive it can be.
He urged African leaders to fight tirelessly to get rid of corruption, lamenting that the continent has remained at the far end of the global development index because of its menace.
The Nigerian president, therefore, challenged his colleagues, stressing that for the continent to rise to its full potential, ”we must work tirelessly to get rid of corruption or by fighting it 24/7.”
According to him: ”Corruption has dwarfed our growth and tainted our nations and continent. Africa remains at the far end of the development index and concerted efforts made in the last few years need to be sustained, and deepened by good governance and accountability that are guided by the rule of law.”
”I have strong faith that Africa and our national governments can do this with strong resolve and commitment to eliminating Illicit Financial Flows.
”We need strong partnerships from our global partners to ensure that these efforts succeed. A developed and stable Africa will not only be a global partner for peace but sustainable development and progress.”
On food security in Nigeria, President Buhari disclosed that the Nigerian government has financed 2.5million smallholder farmers to cultivate about a 3.2million hectares of farmland across the country, creating 10 million direct and indirect jobs.
He said rice imports alone dropped in Nigeria from $1billion a year to $18.5million.
The president, however, cautioned that these lofty goals cannot be achieved if corruption, illicit financial flows, and serious and organised crimes are not effectively addressed.
The president, therefore, pledged not to relent in efforts to curb illicit financial flows, engender food security and achieve sustainable economic development.
Buhari also expressed concern that criminals are taking advantage of the global food crisis to perpetrate illicit financial flows, with the ongoing crisis in Ukraine disrupting energy and food supply chains, thus, negatively impacting the global economy.
Earlier in her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu, said the event “is a continuation of the advocacy on good governance that started in 2017 and was adopted by the Forum in 2018 as an annual event to promote peer-to-peer learning for best practices and strengthen partnership for good governance.”
