As a show of commitment to swapping the abducted schoolgirls
from Chibok with Boko Haram fighters in custody, President Muhammadu Buhari has
told the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, that Nigeria would
welcome intermediaries from the global body.
Speaking during a bilateral meeting with the UN scribe at
the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly in New York, President Buhari
said the Nigerian government was willing to bend over backwards, to get the
Chibok girls released from captivity.
"The challenge is in getting credible and bona fide
leadership of Boko Haram to discuss with,” the President said, adding that,
“The split in the insurgent group is not helping matters. Government had
reached out, ready to negotiate, but it became difficult to identify credible
leaders. We will welcome intermediaries such as UN outfits, to step in."
The last time, he asked the Boko Haram terrorists to pick an
international NGO of their choice to broker the swap. There has been no
response so far from the now split group.
The President reiterated that the teachings of Boko Haram
were far from being Islamic, as neither Islam, nor any other religion,
advocates hurting the weak and innocent.
“The fact that they kill men, women, children, and other
people wantonly, and shout Allahu Akbar (God is great) shows that they do not
know that Allah at all. If they did, they would not shed innocent blood,”
President Buhari said.
He thanked Ban Ki-moon for the moral and material support
given to Nigeria, which has enabled the country surmount many of the challenges
facing her.
In his response, the UN Secretary General congratulated
President Buhari on the anti-corruption war, declaring: "You are highly
respected by world leaders, including myself. Your persona has given your
country a positive image."
He said the UN recognized the achievements of the Buhari
administration against Boko Haram, urging that human rights be upheld always,
to prevent a repeat of the scenario being witnessed in Syria.
Ban Ki-moon also thanked the Nigerian leader for his
commitment to issues on climate change, adding that the government should “own
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” for the good of its citizens.
Other world leaders such as President Barack Obama and
French President Francois Hollande had similarly praised the efforts of the
Nigerian leader in pursuing economic and social reforms in the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari reiterated that the teachings of
Boko Haram were far from being Islamic, as neither Islam, nor any other
religion, advocates hurting the weak and innocent.
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