“We need our troops back home, and I hope the President of that country will accept a constitutional way to resolve the situation there.”
Buhari, who received in audience today, Friday, at the Aso Villa, Abuja, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel A. de Souza, said that so far Nigeria is the highest contributor of troops to Guinea Bissau, but that “the troops can’t be there endlessly.”
President Buhari said that he expected a formal report on the situation in Guinea Bissau at the 52nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government which is being hosted by Nigeria tomorrow, Saturday, in Abuja.
He said that despite the economic difficulty Nigeria had gone through, it would continue to play leading role on the regional challenges.
“We are under financial pressure due to terrorist attacks in the sub-region, but Nigeria being out of recession will have an impact on the entire region.”
Buhari however, emphasized the need for accountability and good neighbourliness in both the sub-region, and on the African continent.
He expressed satisfaction with the organization’s demand for accountability from its headquarters staff, resulting in recently inviting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from Nigeria, to look into its books.
He thanked the organisation for being firm, “and for insisting on transparency and accountability at the ECOWAS headquarters.”
President Buhari said that Nigeria would continue to fulfill its obligations to the sub-regional body.
This was even as the ECOWAS Commission boss thanked Nigeria for agreeing to host the 52nd Ordinary Session at short notice and that the impact of Nigeria was quite strong in the organization.
Also at the meeting with Moussa Faki Mahamat of the African Union Commission, President Buhari stressed the importance of good neighbourliness and relationship for the attainment of security and economic development.
“That was why I visited all our neighbours. Such relationship is crucial for security, and economic development, so that our youths can get jobs.”
On the situation in Libya, President Buhari reiterated that not every Black man was a Nigerian and that it is, therefore, important to authenticate the origin of the people in distress before they are evacuated.
“We are trying to bring as many as possible from Libya. But not every Black man is a Nigerian. Others claim to be Nigerian, when they are not, and because they have destroyed their travel papers, we can’t claim them, except there is proper documentation.”
On recharging of the Lake Chad, which he has been in the vanguard of across the world, the President said: “the earlier we get it done, the better, so that our youths don’t continue to dare the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.”
The AU Commission boss congratulated President Buhari for what he was doing for Nigeria, and for Africa. His words:
“Without President Buhari, and without Nigeria, many things would not have been possible. I appreciate the role you played in my election, and all that you do in ECOWAS, Lake Chad Basin Commission, and the entire continent.
“We follow your battle against corruption, and it is not by chance that you have been chosen by other African leaders to champion the battle in 2018.
“Your commitment is notable, and I seek your support for reforms that we intend to introduce in AU. Your guidance is vital. We need Africa to speak with one voice, and the voice of Nigeria is preponderant.”[myad]
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