President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with the President of ECOWAS Commission and Chairperson of the African Union Commission at State House, Abuja, during which he emphasised the need for accountability and good neighbourliness in both the sub-region and on the African continent.
Receiving the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel A. de Souza, Buhari said it was gladdening that the organisation was demanding accountability from its headquarters staff, which made it recently invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from Nigeria to look into its books.
“Thanks for being firm and for insisting on transparency and accountability at the ECOWAS headquarters,” he said, adding that Nigeria would continue to fulfill its obligations to the sub-regional body.
A statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, yesterday said Nigeria would today host the 52nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja.
The statement quoted Buhari as saying that he expects a formal report on the situation in Guinea Bissau at the meeting, noting: “We need our troops back home and I hope the President of that country will accept a constitutional way to resolve the situation there.”
The ECOWAS Commission boss thanked Nigeria for agreeing to host the session at short notice, adding that Nigeria’s impact was quite strong in the organisation.“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,” de Souza said, noting that Nigeria was the highest contributor of troops to Guinea Bissau, just as he admitted that “the troops can’t be there endlessly.”
At the meeting with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the President said good neighbourliness and relationship were important for 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,” he stated.On the situation in Libya, Buhari reiterated that not every black man was a Nigerian and it was, 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,” the President stressed.
Regarding recharging of the Lake Chad, which he has championed across the world, the President submitted: “The earlier we get it done, the better, so that our youths don’t continue to dare the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.”
Mahamat congratulated Buhari for what he is doing for Nigeria and Africa, adding:“Without 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.”
