President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the international community to take stronger action in eradicating terrorism acts such as those perpetrated by Boko Haram in Nigeria; even as he demanded stronger international action against illicit flows of small arms and light weapons as well as acts of piracy.
He made this call on Tuesday night in a virtual address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The Nigerian president who addressed the assembly via a pre-recorded video statement; expressed deep concern over the worrisome development.
Specifically, Buhari referenced the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. He called on the international community to come to the aid of Nigeria in curbing the menace.
He said: “In Nigeria, we are still facing violent extremism from the insurgency of Boko Haram and bandits. We continue to count on our strong cooperation with UN counter-terrorism bodies and neighbouring countries to overcome the terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin and the wider Sahel Region.
“We will vigorously sustain the rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement of victims of terrorism and insurgency in the North-East. The North-East Development Commission has been established for that purpose,” he stated.
Further, Buhari bared his thoughts on the rise in proliferation of small arms in Nigeria and the African continent. Nevertheless, he stated that international collaboration and solidarity will go a long way in stemming it.
“Nigeria remains deeply concerned over the illicit trade, transfer and circulation of small arms and light weapons; particularly on the continent of Africa. We urge the international community to renew efforts to stem this traffic and promote the Arms Trade Treaty.
“This is to codify accountability in the on-going battle against trans-border crimes, including terrorism and acts of piracy.’’
Also, Buhari stated Nigeria’s position on other global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, illicit financial flows and nuclear proliferation. He urged other world leaders to fight for uninhibited supply of safe and effective coronavirus vaccines for all.
Buhari criticised the absence of global solidarity in the battle against COVID-19; noting that failure of the UN in this direction means failure in its core mission of giving expression, direction and solution to the yearnings of the international community.
On illicit financial flows, the Nigerian president called for an overhaul of existing international structures that undermine countries’ efforts to generate and retain their financial resources. He alse expressed Nigeria’s commitment to ongoing efforts by the UN to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
