President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the United Nations (UN) to provide more practical support to Nigeria in its fight against terrorism, considering the far-reaching consequences on global peace, displacement of people, and the rise in poverty levels.
The President made this appeal during a meeting with Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism, at the State House.
He noted that terrorism has consistently undermined development progress and increased instability within families and communities, and that the UN’s cooperation in addressing terrorism has often been inconsistent and sporadic, especially in the context of developing nations.
He stressed the need for future partnerships between Nigeria and the UN to be grounded in the UN charter rather than mere charity.
“We appreciate all that you have been doing. We know that in the face of many demands and challenges, you can still do much better. We can score you ‘A’ in collaboration but ‘B’ in physical support. You have to do more because terrorism is an effective danger to democracy; terrorism is also an effective danger to development.
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“Growth and prosperity can not be achieved until we banish terrorism. We have to equally look at other sides of the issue, and I have said it is the where, how, and when of terrorism,” the President said in a statement on Friday by his spokeman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale.
President Tinubu noted that in going forward, global peace and prosperity would demand the swift and comprehensive provision of the right answers to the challenge posed by insurgencies in parts of the world, which threaten universal stability.
“We must take into account the basic needs of our people. If out of the meagre resources presently available, we have to dip our hands without the steady support from organisations like the UN, then we are in trouble,” the President asserted.
In his remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, said he had highlighted some of the conditions that promote insurgency like poverty and injustice with the UN team while noting the Nigerian government’s response.
“Nigeria continues to make significant investments in education and social security,” he said.
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On his part, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism, commended Nigeria’s contributions to global counter-terrorism efforts.
He acknowledged Nigeria’s existing framework for prevention, mitigation, and reconciliation and praised the nation’s efforts in combating terrorism.
“Of course, terrorism is part of the international agenda, and we had a successful meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussing how to enrich our agenda on international terrorism response. I can only mention that politically, and from the point of view of capacity building on activities for counter terrorism, Nigeria is one of the leading partners,” he added.
Voronkov informed the President that the UN is planning a Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja, scheduled for April 2024.
He mentioned that this summit would be primarily led by African nations and focused on an African agenda in addressing counter-terrorism efforts.