Buhari Invites UN To Broker Chibok Girls Swap
President Muhammadu Buhari has told the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, that Nigeria would welcome intermediaries from the global body, as a show of commitment to swapping the abducted schoolgirls from Chibok with Boko Haram fighters in their custody.
He said this while speaking during a bilateral meeting with the UN scribe at the 71st UN General Assembly in New York. He said the Nigerian government was willing to bend over backwards, to ensure the Chibok girls are released from captivity.
He said, “The challenge is in getting credible and bona fide leadership of Boko Haram to discuss with. The split in the insurgent group is not helping matters. Government had reached out, ready to negotiate, but it became difficult to identify credible leaders. We will welcome intermediaries such as UN outfits, to step in.”
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The last time, he asked the Boko Haram terrorists to pick an international NGO of their choice to broker the swap. There has been no response so far from the now split group.
Buhari reiterated that the teachings of Boko Haram were far from being Islamic, as neither Islam, nor any other religion, advocates hurting the weak and innocent.
He said, “The fact that they kill men, women, children, and other people wantonly, and shout Allahu Akbar (God is great) shows that they do not know that Allah at all. If they did, they would not shed innocent blood.”
He thanked Ban Ki-moon for the moral and material support given to Nigeria, which has enabled the country surmount many of the challenges facing her.
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The UN Secretary General congratulated President Buhari on the anti-corruption war, declaring, “You are highly respected by world leaders, including myself. Your persona has given your country a positive image.”
Ban Ki-moon also thanked the Nigerian leader for his commitment to issues on climate change, adding that the government should “own the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” for the good of its citizens.
Other world leaders such as President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande similarly praised the efforts of Buhari in pursuing economic and social reforms in the country.
