Buhari: Back from United Nations with a special Assignment

President Muhammadu Buhari is back to Abuja after a heavy loaded weeklong engagements at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States of America.

The news agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian leader came back with a special request from the UN Secretary General , Antonio Guterres, to assist within the restoring of socio-political order in troubled West African countries.
Guterres, who Acknowledged Buhari for his leadership roles in Africa as well as stabilisation of the West African sub-region, was speaking during an audience with the Nigerian leader at the sidelines of the 76th Session of the UNGA.

The UN scribe observed that Africa, especially West Africa, was generally known as an ocean of stability and good governance, but was deeply concerned at recent reversal of fortunes in democratic rule out some parts of the West African sub-region with coups overturning elected institutions.
He, therefore, urged Buhari to continue to show leadership as he is looking up to Nigeria to help stabilise the sub-region in terms of democracy and good governance.
On terrorism, the secretary general acknowledged the efforts of Nigeria on this global phenomenon.
Guterres gave the Nigerian leader his words of the UN’s continued support in her efforts to address the prevailing security and humanitarian challenges that had arisen especially with the Internally Displaced Persons.

The president praised Gutterres for his global leadership and also the success of the 76th Session.
On Sept. 22, Buhari was onboard in a video message within the hybrid High-Level event, tagged “Transformative Actions for Nature and People”, on the margins of the UNGA.
He revealed that the Gvt had initiated some specific measures to tackle and reverse the severe trend of biodiversity loss, which affects the entire world.

He said that Nigeria had developed a “food system focused development agenda that place priority on healthy diets and affordable nutrition, inclusive, efficient, resilient and sustainable, which can contribute to rebuilding our economy, create jobs and spur growth across sectors, while sustaining our ecosystems”.
The Nigerian leader and president, addressed the 76th Session of the UN Assembly on Sept. 24, raised alarm over the recent trend of the unconstitutional takeover of power in some West African countries, urging world leaders to refuse such illegal acts.

According to Buhari, such unconstitutional takeovers, sometimes in reaction to unilateral changes of constitutions by some of the leaders, should not be given room by the international community.
The president warned that the democratic gains of the past years in West Africa ‘‘are now being eroded’’ due to these negative trends.
He urged G20 countries to extend its debt suspension initiatives to all developing countries, Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States facing fiscal and liquidity challenges.

The president also called for outright debt cancellation for countries facing the most severe challenges occasioned by the virus COVID-19 pandemic.
While still in New York, Buhari reiterated the determination of his administration to work on an ambitious Energy Plan towards reducing the energy shortcomings by year 2030 and above.
In the presidents words “Nigeria’s commitment to a just transition is reflected in our ambitious Energy Compact, which includes the Government’s flagship project to electrify 5 million households and 20 million people using decentralised solar energy solutions.”
Also on the sidelines of the 76th UNGA, Buhari engaged some world leaders, including the President of Burundi; Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the Permanent Representative of America to the United Nations; Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mark Rutte; also as Queen of Netherlands , Her Majesty, Maxima Zorreguieta, in bilateral discussions.

NAN also reports that the presidential aircraft which departed JFK International Airport in new york on Saturday at about 11.40 a.m standard time, landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday at 5.20 a.m which marks the arrival of the president.