Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, says the 71st United
Nations General Assembly meeting was a successful outing, just as he leaves the
U.S. for Nigeria.
He expressed hopes that Nigeria would, before the next
convergence of world leaders, begin to reap the results from all the meetings.
One of such rewards the Nigerian leader is looking forward
to seeing is the alleviation of humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region,
which he made demands for.
United Nations’ agency, UNICEF, has raised concerns over
what it called severe humanitarian crisis in the region, saying 49,000
children, nursing mothers and pregnant women are at the risk of death.
Addressing a press conference before departure on Saturday,
President Buhari again made a strong request for quick release of support for
displaced persons in Lake Chad area before leaving the U.S. where he attended
United Nation’s General Assembly’s meeting.
President Buhari said it had become important that humanitarian
needs which would gulp not less than $391 million pledged by the United States
and the United Kingdom be injected immediately to avoid catastrophe in the lake
Chad area.
The President had a text which was a summary of what Nigeria
was going home with from the United Nations meeting.
Another issue that he had raised while addressing the
General Assembly was also reiterated while he addressed reporters.
The Nigerian leader wants a reform of the United Nations
Security Council and a permanent seat for Nigeria in the Council.
It was his second appearance at the UN General Assembly
since he took office last year and he participated in all the events.
He enumerated all discussions he had during his stay in New
York and said he was undeterred in efforts to create enabling environment for
investments to thrive in Nigeria.
Reform Of United Nations Security Council
President Buhari also listed the number of world leaders he
interacted with during his one week stay in New York and that in all the
meetings he called for cooperation with Nigeria especially in the efforts to
address humanitarians needs in the northeast and Lake Chad area.
“I had reiterated Nigeria’s call for the reform of the
United Nations Security Council to reflect equitable and fair representation,
greater transparency, legitimacy and inclusiveness in its decision making.
“In all those meetings I advanced Nigeria’s case and called
for international cooperation.
“I am happy to note that in sessions some countries, notably
the United Kingdom and the United States, pledged additional support to the
tune of $391 billion pledged in humanitarian aid for the Lake Chad region,”
President Buhari told reporters.
His invitation to Nigerians living in the United States to
come home and help in developing the country, the effects of climate change in
the country, the signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the need for
environmental sustainability and efforts to clean up Ogoni Land were not left
out.
At a meeting with Nigerians in the U.S. President Buhari
told them that Nigeria’s economic recession was triggered by failure of
previous administration to save for rainy days.
He also said that resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta
region had affected the nation oil output further dipping revenue.
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