 |
|
Mr Ban
arrives in the country on Sunday Photo: AFP
|
UN chief Ban Ki-moon is wrapping up his
two-day visit to Nigeria with a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of the victims
of an attack on the UN headquarters in the capital, Abuja, four years ago. At least 21 people were killed and 73
others were wounded in the bombing by militant Islamist group Boko Haram on 26
August 2011.
BBC reports Mr Ban will
also meet President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss ways to counter Islamic
extremism.
Nigeria Passing
Through Crucial Moment, Says Ban Ki-Moon
 |
|
L-R:
Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Abdulaziz Yari; Ogun State Governor,
Mr. Ibikunle Amosun; and United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon,
during Moon visit to Nigeria in Abuja... on Sunday. Photo: Olatunji Obasa
|
The Punch reports that
the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, has said Nigeria
is currently passing through a crucial moment. He, however, said that he
was happy to know that despite this, the country was facing all the challenges
with the needed vigour. The UN
scribe spoke in Abuja when he held a meeting with Nigerian governors under the
aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum on Sunday.
He
pledged the support of the UN to the desire of the leadership of the country’s
leaders to move the nation forward.
Ki-Moon
said governors also played pivotal roles in the country and the world, noting
that they made policies and implement programmes for the people.
He
said, “This is a crucial moment for Nigeria. And you have to take crucial steps
to move the country forward. The United Nations is ready to help you. We have
to work together to move the country forward.
“You
(the governors) understand the peoples’ challenges and you have the power to
help the people on education, power, development, institution building,
security and others
“Nigeria
occupies a pivotal place in the comity of nations. This is time of hope when we
have a lot of challenges.
“I want to commend you for a successful
election. Elections should serve as a rallying point for the people. But most
often, it serves as a means of destruction but Nigeria has done well.”
He
said he hoped that the governors would use the sustainable development goals
for the development of their states.
While
saying that local governments also play important roles in the implementation
of the policy, he reminded the governors that no leader had the capacity of
achieving this alone, and that leaders must carry the people along.
“No
country or leader can do it alone. You have to build a relationship with the
people to achieve your aims,” he said.
The
governors in their welcome address, told Ki-Moon, that there had been no case
of polio in the country for the past one year.
The
Chairman of the Forum, who is also the Governor of Zamafara State, Alhaji
Abdulazizi Yari, stated this while welcoming the UN scribe to the meeting with
the governors.
He
assured Ki-Moon of the resolve of the governors to eradicate polio from the
country.
Yari
said he was happy that the NGF was a product of the success recorded in the
last general elections and that the governors had come together irrespective of
party affiliation, to cooperate, collaborate and share ideas on how to bring
development to Nigerians.
Yari
said, “Let me reassure Your Excellency of the collective resolve of the
governors to eradicate polio from our country, our states and local
governments.
“In
this wise, I’m delighted to inform Mr. Secretary General that since the last
time you were here, Nigeria has made unprecedented strides in the fight against
this scourge.
“In
fact, this month marks one full year without any report of a new case of polio
in any part of the country.”
He
said governors and other stakeholders were already “working tirelessly through
the instrumentality of campaigns, through vaccination, and the development of
critical resources to ensure that by 2017, Nigeria will be certified
polio-free.”
The
Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, spoke on the challenges facing
states, using his state as a case study.
The
visiting Secretary General and the governors later went into a close-door
meeting.
Meanwhile,
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday play host to Ki-Moon at the Presidential
Villa, Abuja at noon on Monday (today).
According
to a media advisory signed by Mr. Oche Egwa on behalf of the Office of the
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Buhari and Ban Ki-Moon
will address a joint press conference at the end of their closed-door session.
Ban Ki-Moon, according to
the statement, will later return to the Presidential Villa for a dinner to be
hosted in his honour by the President by 7pm. 
No comments:
Post a Comment