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General
Assembly 70th session 12th plenary meeting H.E. Muhammadu BUHARI President of
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA; Photo: UN; Image source: PREMIUM TIMES
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President Muhammadu
Buhari Monday in New York called on the international community to urgently
redouble its efforts to strengthen mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for
proceeds of corruption. Addressing world leaders at the 70th General Assembly of the
United Nations, President Buhari also urged his counterparts to do more to
return stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin.
Observing
that corruption, cross-border financial crimes, cybercrimes and human trafficking
are major challenges of the 21st century which the international community must
work collectively to overcome, President Buhari reaffirmed his administration’s
determination to frontally confront the twin evils of corruption and illicit
financial outflows.
“Let
me reaffirm the Nigerian government’s unwavering commitment to fight corruption
and illicit financial flows. By any consideration, corruption and cross border
financial crimes are impediments to development, economic growth, and the
realization of the well-being of citizens across the globe,” Mr. Buhari said.
“Nigeria
is ready and willing to partner with international agencies and individual
countries on a bilateral basis to confront crimes and corruption.
According to a Press Release published in PREMIUM TIMES, the report continues:
“In
particular, I call upon the global community to urgently redouble efforts
towards strengthening the mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for proceeds
of corruption and ensuring the return of stolen funds and assets to their
countries of origin.”
President
Buhari also proposed the adoption of peace as a seventh essential element of
the Sustainable Development Goals adopted last Friday by world leaders in New
York.
“The
Secretary General has grouped the SDGs into what he calls six “essential
elements” namely: Dignity, Prosperity, Justice, Partnership, Planet and People.
“As
a prerequisite to these and as we look at history and remember the terrible
events that gave rise to the birth of the United Nations in 1945, I would like
to propose a seventh: PEACE.
“Peace
is close to the hearts of Nigerians, as we are in the front line in the war on
terror. Boko Haram’s war against the people of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and
Cameroon may not attract as much worldwide attention as the wars in the Middle
East but the suffering is just as great and the human cost is equally high.
“This
is a war between progress and chaos; between democracy and the rule of law.
Boko Haram celebrates violence against the weak and the innocent and
deplorably, they hide behind their perverted interpretation of Islam. Boko
Haram is as far away from Islam as anyone can think of,” President Buhari
declared.
The
President assured the global community that his administration was doing all
within its powers to quickly overcome the challenge of terrorism and
insecurity.
“The
new Nigerian Government which I have the honour to head, moved with dispatch to
put in a bold and robust strategy to defeat Boko Haram. Nigeria and her
neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger plus Benin are working together to face
this common threat within the regional framework of the Lake Chad Basin
Commission.
“We
have established a multinational joint task force to confront, degrade and
defeat Boko Haram. We have driven them away from many of their strongholds,
killed or captured many of their operatives or commanders and freed several
hundreds of hostages,” President Buhari told the General Assembly.
The
President reassured the international community that rescuing the Chibok girls
remains one of the major objectives of his administration.
“We
are working round the clock to ensure their safety and eventual reunion with
their families. The girls are constantly on our minds and in our plans,” he
said.
President
Buhari condemned the new and dangerous dimension which human trafficking has
assumed in the world.
“We
in Africa are grieved to see hundreds of our able bodied men and women dying in
the desert or drowning in the Mediterranean.
“We
condemn in the strongest terms these people traffickers and will support any
measures to apprehend and bring them to justice,” the President said.
Noting
that the world was witnessing a dreadful increase in conflicts fuelled by
availability of small arms and light weapons, President Buhari called on the
international community to work towards the effective implementation of the
Arms Trade Treaty to ensure that small arms and light weapons can only be
legally transferred.
Reminding
the global assembly that peaceful co-existence and self-determination were
among the key principles that led to the establishment of the United Nations,
President Buhari called for the urgent resolution of the question of self-determination
for the people of Palestine and Western Sahara.
“The
international community has come to pin its hopes on resolving the Palestinian
issue through the two – states solution which recognizes the legitimate right
of each state to exist in peace and security.
“The world has no more
excuses or reasons to delay the implementation of the long list of Security
Council resolutions on this question. Neither do we have the moral right to
deny any people their freedom or condemn them indefinitely to occupation and
blockade,” the President said.
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