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CONDOLENCE VISIT: GOV AKEREDOLU RECEIVES ONDO COUNCIL OF OBAS
Traditional Rulers in Ondo State under the umbrella of Ondo State Council of Obas on Wednesday visited the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, to condole him over the death of his mother, Lady Evangelist Grace Bosede Akeredolu JP.
The monarchs were led on the visit by the Chairman, Council of Obas and Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi.
Governor Akeredolu thanked the Traditional Rulers for coming out in their numbers to pay him a condole visit.
The Governor noted that his mother lived a fulfilled life deserving of celebration.
“Mama tried. She was 90. We will celebrate her to thank God for her life. She is survived by seven children, grand children and great grandchildren. She will be resting at the bosom of Abraham. She has fought a good fight. She has finished the race well.” The Governor said.
The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi, who spoke on behalf of the Traditional Rulers, said the visit was to congratulate the Governor.
“Mama lived a fulfilled life. She died at the right time. Kings don’t mourn. We are here to celebrate with you. It was a beautiful passage. She was born by grace into grace and she passed away gracefully.” The Monarch said.
Richard Olatunde
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
September 21, 2022.
ONDO PDP TO GOV AKEREDOLU: MAMA GAVE YOU TO ONDO STATE AS A GREAT GIFT
- My Mum Lived A Life Of Service – Gov Akeredolu
The Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has described the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, as a great gift to the state.
Two-time governorship candidate of the party, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, who led members of the PDP State Executive Council on a condolence visit to the Governor on Wednesday, thanked the late Lady Evangelist Grace Bosede Akeredolu JP, for the gift of Governor Akeredolu to the sunshine State.
Jegede said: “We are all here to commiserate with you, sir, on the demise of your mother. It is a great loss to all of us. Mama was very dear to all those who knew her, and I’m sure she would be very proud of what you were able to achieve in her own lifetime.
“I am also sure that you are also very proud to be able to survive your mother, and also for all that God has done for her and for you. If the measure of success is about the children that one has gifted to the world, she is a successful woman by all standard.
“Even in her grave, I take permission to say this, she will be smiling that she has done her own bit and she has answered the call of nature and the call of God.
“So, sir, for all of us here on the PDP side, we are here to condole with you and commiserate with you, and wish you great strength. I know it may be painful and it should be painful but time is the greatest healer. By God’s grace, time will heal this wound.
“It is not something that one will forget. You will always remember her for good. I wish you all the best and all the courage that you need at this period. God will continue to keep you.
“For all of us in Ondo state, we are so so proud of her, and we thank her for the gift of Akeredolu, SAN, to the people of Ondo State.”
Responding, Governor Akeredolu thanked the PDP leadership for the visit.
He said his mother lived a life of service, adding that she was prayerful and lived well.
“My mum lived a good life, a life of service. She was an Anglican to the core and lived well. She was a very prayerful woman. Her prayers kept us alive. We are products of prayers.” the Governor added.
Richard Olatunde
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
September 21, 2022.
GOV AKEREDOLU INAUGURATES VISITATION PANEL FOR RUGIPO
- Says Recent Happenings In The Institution Not Satisfactory
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has inaugurated the Visitation Panel for Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
The Governor explained that the inauguration of the Panel became imperative going by recent happenings in the Polytechnic which he said was not satisfactory.
Governor Akeredolu inaugurated the Visitation Panel in his office, Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital on Wednesday.
The Panel is headed by Prof. Olabode Kolade Koriko while Dr. Olumide Asere is the Secretary.
Other members of the Panel include: Prof. Tomola Obamuyi; Prof. Francis Gbore; Mr. Dapo Adelegan; Sir Patrick Tayo Adedapo-Aisida; and Engr. David Omoregie.
The Governor disclosed that the State Government has been inundated with petitions, calls and general anxiety about the situation in the institution.
According to the Governor, the concerns in the institution include staff related issues, union matters, financial issues, general unrest, among others.
He said:”To address the various challenges and proffer workable recommendations towards ensuring optimal performance of the institution and to equally ensure that it is managed in line with global best practices, this Visitation Panel is set up to examine the performance of the Polytechnic’s management and to also determine the extent of its compliance with the recommendations of the 2017 Visitation Panel as contained in the Government White Paper.”
Governor Akeredolu, who noted that education plays a pivotal role in the development of a country, stressed the need to sustain the dignity of education as prescribed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“In line with one of the eight legs of the REDEEMED agenda of our administration, that is, Educational Advancement and Human Capital Development, we will continue to stress the culture of ‘Performance Management.’
“We understand the need for our tertiary institutions to maintain a certain level of academic autonomy, but as a responsible government, we will put machinery in place to ensure that nothing short of excellence is achieved in our education sector.” He said.
Arakunrin Akeredolu noted that the Panel is expected to examine the extent of compliance with the recommendation of the 2017 Visitation Panel Report by the Management of the Polytechnic as contained in the Government White Paper.
He said the Panel will also review the Laws establishing the Polytechnic, determine the future of the Polytechnic in line with the Federal Government’s Policy regarding scrapping of HND programmes, and suggest amendments to the Law;
“The panels is to examine the Financial Management of the Polytechnic including subventions, grants, loans, and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and determine the compliance of the Polytechnic with appropriate regulation; and examine industrial relations amongst management, staff and students and recommend ways to achieving peace and harmony;
“The Panel is also expected to examine the state of the landed property and other assets of the Polytechnic; and to make such other recommendations that can assist in repositioning the Polytechnic for optimal performance.”
The Governor said the Visitation Panel has three months duration to complete the assignment and submit its Report, urging them to deliver the best in the interest of the State and posterity.
“While we continue to uplift and promote the integrity of education in our dear State, stakeholders in the education sector must join hands with government in sustaining the legacies of our administration.” He noted.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Panel, Prof. Olabode Kolade Koriko promised that the Panel members will deliver the best and will not betray the confidence repose in them.
He also commiserate and congratulate the Governor on the demise of his mother, Lady Evangelist Grace Bosede Akeredolu JP.
Richard Olatunde
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
September 21, 2022.
CONDOLENCE VISITS: ONDO STATE PEOPLE HAVE SHOWN ME TREMENDOUS LOVE-GOV AKEREDOLU
- Receives More Dignitaries, Groups, Organisations on Condolence Visits
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has said that the people of the state have shown him tremendous love since the demise of his mother, Lady Evangelist Grace Bosede Akeredolu JP.
The Governor said he was overwhelmed with the show of love while thanking the people for the flurry of condolence visits and messages.
Governor Akeredolu spoke on Wednesday while receiving various dignitaries, groups and organisations on condolence visit at the Presidential Lodge, Government House, Akure, the state capital.
Some of the groups received by the Governor Include: Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria led by Pharm. Eniola Akindeko; OSRC Media Group led by Mr. Kunle Adebayo; Christian Welfare Board led by Very Rev. Rapheal Agboola ; Non Indigene Coalition led by Chief Pius Ezekwere; Nigerian Society of Engineers Akure Branch led by Engr. Stephen Bolawole, MNSE and BEMORE Empowered Girls Foundation.
Others include:Aketi One 2 One led by Chief Yusuf Isiaka; All Owo Progressive Development Association led by Mr. Dipo Olajide; Asiwaju NDI of Akure And Council Chiefs led by Dr. Sir Umeriweke Ezeonyi; Aketi Band APC led by Kayode Oluwatogbekele; DEJAVU Hotel led by Mr. Olatunji Jubreel; Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Management Team led by Dr. Mrs. Olubunmi Omoniyi.
The Governor also received the Umaugba Ruling House led by Prince Adekolu Odogiyon; Oloba In Council, Oba Ile led by High Chief Oluwatimilehin; Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party led by Eyitayo Jegede SAN; University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital led by Dr. Oluwole Ige; New Ona Iwa Mimo C & S Church led by Kabiyesi Onimeri Of Imeph Kingdom; Akure, Forum of Councillors in Ondo State; Obas in Akure North,; Chairman and Commissioners of Ondo State Local Government Service Commission led by Hon. Femi Idris.
The visitors said the late Lady Evangelist Akeredolu lived a fulfilled life and died at the appointed time.
The Chairman of the OSRC media group, Mr. Kunle Adebayo said:”We join thousands of people who love you and admire you to congratulate you for successfully witnessing the peaceful transition of your dear mother. It is always a great thing when children outlive their parents. Your mother has done well. She was a true mother.”
The Chairman of the Christian Welfare Board, Very Rev. Raphael Agboola said:”God gave you unmerited grace and favor to take care of her. She died the death of the righteous. We have come to say to God be the glory.”
Governor Akeredolu, while responding to some of the condolence messages said:”My mother’s deed is enough for her to have her name written in the book of life. May her deed follow her. She evangelized and propagated the work of God. She spent a number of her years, going to villages to evangelize.”
Richard Olatunde
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
September 21, 2022.
PRESIDENT BUHARI CONGRATULATES NDLEA CHAIRMAN, GEN.MARWA, ON DRUG BUST
President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, congratulated the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), on the recent very successful operation of the Agency leading to the smashing of an international drug syndicate and recovery of 1,855kilograms of cocaine.
In a telephone call to the Chairman of the anti-narcotics agency from New York where he is attending the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77), President Buhari said that the news of the recovery gladdens his heart.
“I deeply appreciate the work that you have put into the eradication of the drug menace. It gladdens my heart as I continue to follow the successes achieved under your leadership.
“You have demonstrated over and again that choosing you to lead this fight against wicked merchants of death whose sole aim is to endanger and truncate the future of our youth is a very good choice. Please keep up the good work.”
At a meeting later with members of his delegation, the President said, “Buba Marwa is doing well. Two tonnes of cocaine, that’s a haul.”
The NDLEA had announced the “highest cocaine seizure” worth over 278 million dollars and arrest of drug barons including a foreigner in a major operation lasting two days across different locations in Lagos.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 19, 2022
PRESIDENT BUHARI TO LAUNCH NIGERIA’S INTEGRATED NATIONAL FINANCING FRAMEWORK (INFF) FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NEW YORK
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday, 23rd September 2022, launch Nigeria’s Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) for Sustainable Development on the margins of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77) in New York.
Proposed within the broader Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) is a planning and delivery tool to finance sustainable development at the national level.
The INFF helps policymakers lay out a strategy to increase investments for sustainable development, manage financial and non-financial risks, and ultimately achieve sustainable development priorities. While a country’s national development plan spells out what needs to be financed, the INFF shows how it will be financed and implemented.
For Nigeria, the INFF is also expected to help in the recovery from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic as well as help address lack of an integrated approach to financing SDGs, which has been a key challenge to meeting the financing requirement, estimated at $100 billon over the next 10 years.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development presents an ambitious, complex and interconnected vision that countries around the world have committed to working towards. Realizing this vision will require mobilization of a diverse range of public and private resources.
The INFF is a tool to help countries strengthen planning processes and overcome existing impediments to financing sustainable development at the national level. It helps governments and their partners to build more integrated approaches to financing, that strengthen the alignment between public and private investments and longer-term sustainable development objectives and build greater coherency across the governance of public and private financing policies.
Nigeria committed to be a champion of INFF and officially kicked off the design process as an INFF pioneer country in 2020. To steer the implementation process, Nigeria set up the INFF Steering Committee chaired by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (MFBNP), represented by the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, the Director General of the Debt Management Office, and the Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics.
Others are: the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, the UN Resident Coordinator, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, the Head of Development Cooperation of the European Union mission, the Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund, the Country Director for the World Bank, and the Co-Chair of the Private Sector Advisory Group.
Expected at the launch are some Heads of Governments, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed and representatives from countries and international Organisations.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 19, 2022
PRESIDENT BUHARI HAILS KING SUNNY ADE AT 76
President Muhammadu Buhari joins the entertainment industry in celebrating juju music maestro and multi-instrumentalist, Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, better known as King Sunny Ade, who turns 76 on September 22, 2022.
President Buhari rejoices with the internationally renowned artiste, who is the first Nigerian to be nominated for Grammy in the 80’s, playing a significant role in the huge success of the country’s music industry, with influence across genres, including Hollywood, where his songs were featured in many movies.
As the talented guitarist turns 76, the President extols the gifted songwriter, producer and visiting professor of music at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife for taking Nigeria’s local beats to the world, exporting the rich culture and placing instruments like the “talking drum’’ on global spotlight for research and adaption.
President Buhari believes the recognitions and awards received by the multi-talented entertainer over the years, including the national award, MFR, are well deserved.
The President prays for his good health, strength and grace of more creativity.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 21, 2022
PRESIDENT BUHARI MOURNS HAJIYA ZAINAB SIDI ALI, MOTHER OF FCT MINISTER OF STATE
President Muhammadu Buhari sends condolences to Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, over the passing of her mother, Hajiya Zainab Sidi Ali.
President Buhari commiserates with family members, friends and associates of the late matriarch, who defined her life with kindness, charity and service to humanity.
The President notes outpouring of testimonies over the good life of Hajiya Zainab, fondly called “Gogo”, with reflections on her wise counsels, diligence in business and enveloping love for her children, orphans, neighbours and community, mostly of the underprivileged she looked after.
President Buhari prays that the Almighty God will remember her investments of love on earth, and grant her eternal rest.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 21, 2022
IN FAREWELL TO UNGA, PRESIDENT BUHARI RESTATES ADHERENCE TO CONSTITUTIONAL TERM LIMIT, SAYS NIGERIA PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, RULE OF LAW IN WEST AFRICA
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in New York vowed to entrench a process of free, fair, transparent and credible elections through which Nigerians elect leaders of their choice.
In his farewell speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as President, he told the 77th session that next year, there would be a new face speaking for Nigeria from the podium of the Assembly Hall.
The President used his speech to strongly reiterate his commitment to constitutional term limits and Nigeria’s effort to promote rule of law and democracy in West Africa, citing the country’s support to The Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Chad during their political impasse.
He said: ”We believe in the sanctity of constitutional term limits and we have steadfastly adhered to it in Nigeria. We have seen the corrosive impact on values when leaders elsewhere seek to change the rules to stay on in power.
”Indeed, we are now preparing for general elections in Nigeria next February. At the 78th UNGA, there will be a new face at this podium speaking for Nigeria.
”Ours is a vast country strengthened by its diversity and its common values of hard work, enduring faith and a sense of community.
”We have invested heavily to strengthen our framework for free and fair elections. I thank our partners for all the support that they have provided our election institutions.
”As President, I have set the goal that one of the enduring legacies I would like to leave is to entrench a process of free, fair and transparent and credible elections through which Nigerians elect leaders of their choice.”
Highlighting support for democracy in the sub-region, President Buhari said in The Gambia, Nigeria helped guarantee the first democratic transition since independence and stood by the democratically elected Government in Guinea-Bissau when it faced mutiny.
He added that following the tragic death of President Idris Deby Itno of Chad in the battlefield, Nigeria joined forces with its other neighbours and international partners to stabilize the country and encourage the peaceful transition to democracy, a process which is ongoing.
”Democracy is an idea that crosses time and borders. Certainly, democracy does have its limitations.
”The wheels of democracy turn slowly. It can demand compromises that dilute decisions.
”Sometimes, it bends too much to special interests that exercise influence, not always for the general good, in a manner disproportionate to their numbers.
”But it has been my experience that a democratic culture provides a Government with the legitimacy it needs to deliver positive change,” he said.
Recalling that the first time he could have addressed the Assembly was in 1984, as Military Head of State of Nigeria, President Buhari said it was a great privilege to personally address the Assembly, thirty-one years later, in 2015, ”as the democratically elected President of my country.”
”As I approach the end of my second and final four-year term, I am reminded of how much has changed in Nigeria, in Africa, and in the world, and yet, how some challenges remain,” he said in the address, which also focused on pressing international issues including the consequences of the war in Ukraine, Climate Change, malignant use of technology, debt service suspension, among others.
On the war in Ukraine, the Nigerian leader warned that the danger of escalation further justifies Nigeria’s resolute calls for a nuclear-free world and a universal Arms Trade Treaty, which are necessary measures to prevent global human disasters.
He demanded that world leaders must find quick means to reach consensus on the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty with related commitments by nuclear weapon states.
He said that the war would have adverse consequences on all, hindering the capacity of the international community to work together to resolve conflicts elsewhere, especially in Africa, the Middle-East and Asia:
”Indeed, the ongoing war in Ukraine is making it more difficult to tackle the perennial issues that feature each year in the deliberations of this Assembly, such as nuclear disarmament, the right of the Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Myanmar, and the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for statehood and reduction of inequalities within and amongst nations.”
In the context of challenges that have come so sharply into focus in recent years and months, President Buhari emphasized the call by Nigeria and many other Member-States for the reform of the Security Council and other UN Agencies, saying ‘‘CHANGE IS LONG OVERDUE.’’
”We need more effective and representative structures to meet today’s demands that have since outgrown a system designed for the very different world that prevailed at its foundation in 1945.”
On the use of technology, President Buhari called attention to the use of social media to spread hate speech and divisive information, urging world leaders that in confronting these challenges they must come together to defend freedom of speech and uphold other values they cherish.
”We must continue to work for a common standard that balances rights with responsibilities to keep the most vulnerable from harm and help strengthen and enrich communities.
”Efforts to protect communities from the scourge of disinformation and misinformation must also be matched with efforts to reduce inequalities and restore hope to our poorer and most vulnerable of our communities as a means to stem the many socio-economic conflict drivers with which we are faced,” he said.
The President asserted that while social media is helpful in strengthening the foundations of society and common values, at its worst, it is a corrosive digital version of the mob, bristling with intolerance and division.
He noted that a key feature of the last decade has been the growing partnership between states and the increasingly influential non-state actors.
”There was a time when the most important event at this Assembly was the speech by the world’s most powerful leaders.
”Now a Tweet or Instagram post by an influencer on social or environmental issues may have greater impact.
”When I began my tenure as President in 2015, distinctions were drawn between the experience of poorer countries and those apparently better able to manage the avalanche of unfiltered information.
”Nigeria has had many unsavoury experiences with hate speech and divisive disinformation. Increasingly, we also see that many countries face the same challenge. Clearly, data also know no borders,” he said.
President Buhari also called for outright debt cancellation for developing countries facing the most severe fiscal and liquidity challenges.
According to him, the multifaceted challenges facing most developing countries have placed a debilitating chokehold on their fiscal space, justifying the need to address the burden of unsustainable external debt by a global commitment to the expansion and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative as well as outright cancellation.
On climate change, President Buhari expressed concern that Africa and other developing nations, which produce only a small proportion of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to industrial economies, are the hardest hit by its consequences as seen in the sustained droughts in Somalia and floods of unprecedented severity in Pakistan.
”These and other climate-related occurrences are now sadly becoming widely commonplace in the developing world. We are, in effect, literally paying the price for policies that others pursue. This needs to change.”
The Nigeria leader said: ”At the Cop 26 in Glasgow last year, I did say that Nigeria was not asking for permission to make the same mistakes that others have made in creating the climate emergency.
”Fortunately, we now know what we can do to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and the related energy challenge. As a first step, we must all commit to releasing the financing and the technology to create a stable and affordable framework for energy transition.
”Development Financial Institutions must prioritise de-risking energy projects to improve access of renewable projects to credit facilities. There should be no countries ‘left behind’ in this equation.
”Rocketing energy costs worldwide are, in part, the product of conflict and supply disruptions to Europe and the Americas.”
The President said Nigeria expects UNGA 77 and the upcoming COP 27 to help galvanise the political will required to drive action towards the fulfilment of the various existing climate change initiatives.
In concluding his address from the ”famous podium”, the President conveyed his final reflection to the world body, urging leaders to uphold values of justice, honour, integrity, among others.
”We live in extraordinary times with interdependent challenges but enormous opportunities. The pace of change can seem bewildering, with sometimes a palpable and unsettling sense of uncertainty about our future.
”But if my years in public service have taught me anything, it is that we must keep faith with those values that endure.
”These include, but are not limited to such values as justice, honour, integrity, ceaseless endeavour, and partnership within and between nations.
”Our strongest moments have always been when we remain true to the basic principles of tolerance, community, and abiding commitment to peace and goodwill towards all.”
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 21, 2022
STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 77TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
WEDNESDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER, 2022
Mr. President,
Heads of State and Government,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. President,
On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate you on your well-deserved election as President of the 77th Session of this August Assembly. I assure you of the full support and cooperation of the Nigerian delegation during your tenure.
- I commend your predecessor, H.E Abdullah Shahid for the many remarkable achievements of the General Assembly under his leadership during these challenging times.
- May I also congratulate the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres on his ceaseless and untiring efforts to promote peace, security and development, very much in line with his exalted role.
Mr. President,
- The first time I could have addressed this August Assembly was in 1984, when I was the Military Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Thirty one years later, I had the great privilege to personally address the Assembly in 2015, as the democratically elected President of my country. As I approach the end of my second and final four-year term, I am reminded of how much has changed in Nigeria, in Africa, and in the world, and yet, how some challenges remain.
- We are now more severely tested by these enduring and new global challenges, paramount among which are conflicts increasingly being driven by non-state actors, proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, terrorism, violent extremism, malignant use of technology, climate change, irregular migration, and disparities in opportunities for improved standards of living.
- Despite the challenging international environment, the United Nations has proved that it can be strong when the will of its members is harnessed for positive collective action. The guiding principles of this extraordinary institution is the promotion of peace and security, development and human rights. Latest in a chain of events challenging these principles is the Ukraine conflict which has already created strains that are perhaps unprecedented for a generation.
- Such a conflict will have adverse consequences for us all, hindering our capacity to work together to resolve conflicts elsewhere, especially in Africa, the Middle-East and Asia. Indeed, the ongoing war in Ukraine is making it more difficult to tackle the perennial issues that feature each year in the deliberations of this Assembly, such as nuclear disarmament, the right of the Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Myanmar, and the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for statehood and reduction of inequalities within and amongst nations.
- The danger of escalation of the war in Ukraine further justifies Nigeria’s resolute calls for a nuclear-free world and a universal Arms Trade Treaty, which are also necessary measures to prevent global human disasters. In this regards we must find quick means to reach consensus on the Nuclear non-proliferation Treaty with related commitments by nuclear weapon states.
- I remain firmly convinced that the challenges that have come so sharply into focus in recent years and months emphasize the call by Nigeria and many other Member-States for the reform of the Security Council and other UN Agencies. We need more effective and representative structures to meet today’s demands that have since outgrown a system designed for the very different world that prevailed at its foundation in 1945. CHANGE IS LONG OVERDUE.
Mr. President,
- This is the first meeting we are having here in New York without the restrictions that characterised the last three years. The COVID-19 pandemic ripped across National borders like a toxic whirlwind, leaving in its wake a legacy of pain and loss.
- Happily, we also witnessed an incredible level of innovation and creativity from those who devised treatments and vaccines. These laudable achievements were underpinned by partnerships and international cooperation. We have also seen the bravery, care, and endurance of health professionals at every corner of the globe.
- I am happy to note that in Nigeria, our healthcare agencies were able to form effective local management and engaged international partnerships with multinational initiatives like COVAX and private groups like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These efforts helped mitigate the impact of the pandemic and we were mercifully spared the images of overwhelmed hospitals, overworked healthcare personnel and high mortality which sadly we saw elsewhere.
- With COVID-19, we saw very clearly how states tried to meet the challenge of a threat that could not be contained within national borders. The results were mixed; but at its best, cooperation among stakeholders was outstanding. It facilitated solutions that saved countless lives and eased the huge burden of human suffering.
- That same theme of unilateralism and the promotion of national interest competing with the common cause in the face of an existential threat has been our recurring experience in recent times. In every address I have delivered to this august Assembly, I have dwelt on the issue of climate change, especially as it fuels conflicts and complicates food security.
- Climate change reduces opportunity and prosperity which, in Africa, Latin America and some parts of Asia also contribute to transnational organized crimes.
- As part of Nigeria’s efforts at achieving our Global Net-zero aspiration, the current Administration last year adopted a National Climate Change Strategy that aims to deliver climate change mitigation in a sustainable manner.
- The measures we took at the national level also require climate justice. Africa and other developing nations produce only a small proportion of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to industrial economies. Yet, we are the hardest hit by the consequences of climate change as we see in the sustained droughts in Somalia and floods of unprecedented severity in Pakistan.
- These and other climate-related occurrences are now sadly becoming widely commonplace in the developing world. We are, in effect, literally paying the price for policies that others pursue. This needs to change.
- At the Cop 26 in Glasgow last year, I did say that Nigeria was not asking for permission to make the same mistakes that others have made in creating the climate emergency.
- Fortunately, we now know what we can do to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and the related energy challenge. As a first step, we must all commit to releasing the financing and the technology to create a stable and affordable framework for energy transition.
- Development Financial Institutions must prioritise de-risking energy projects to improve access of renewable projects to credit facilities. There should be no countries “left behind” in this equation.
- Rocketing energy costs worldwide are, in part, the product of conflict and supply disruptions to Europe and the Americas. Yet, we are all paying the price. It is, therefore, our expectation that this UNGA 77 and the upcoming COP 27 will help galvanise the political will required to drive action towards the fulfilment of the various existing climate change initiatives.
- Another feature of the last decade has been the gowing partnership between states and the increasingly influential non-state actors. There was a time when the most important event at this Assembly was the speech by the world’s most powerful leaders. Now a Tweet or Instagram post by an influencer on social or environmental issues may have greater impact.
- Technology offers us nearly limitless opportunities and sometimes runs ahead of the imagination of regulators and legislators. At its best, social media helps strengthen the foundations of our society and our common values. At its worst, it is a corrosive digital version of the mob, bristling with intolerance and division.
- When I began my tenure as President in 2015, distinctions were drawn between the experience of poorer countries and those apparently better able to manage the avalanche of unfiltered information. Nigeria has had many unsavoury experiences with hate speech and divisive disinformation. Increasingly, we also see that many countries face the same challenge. Clearly, data also know no borders.
- In confronting these challenges, we must also come together to defend freedom of speech, while upholding other values that we cherish. We must continue to work for a common standard that balances rights with responsibilities to keep the most vulnerable from harm and help strengthen and enrich communities.
- Efforts to protect communities from the scourge of disinformation and misinformation must also be matched with efforts to reduce inequalities and restore hope to our poorer and most vulnerable of our communities as a means to stem the many socio-economic conflict drivers with which we are faced.
- In spite of our efforts, humanitarian crises will continue to ravage some of our communities. Nigeria, therefore, implores our global partners to do more to complement our endeavours.
- Indeed, the multifaceted challenges facing most developing countries have placed a debilitating chokehold on their fiscal space. This equally calls for the need to address the burden of unsustainable external debt by a global commitment to the expansion and extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to countries facing fiscal and liquidity challenges as well as outright cancellation for countries facing the most severe challenges.
Mr. President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
- Democracy is an idea that crosses time and borders. Certainly, democracy does have its limitations. The wheels of democracy turn slowly. It can demand compromises that dilute decisions. Sometimes, it bends too much to special interests that exercise influence, not always for the general good, in a manner disproportionate to their numbers. But it has been my experience that a democratic culture provides a Government with the legitimacy it needs to deliver positive change.
- In Nigeria, not only have we worked to strengthen our democracy, but we have supported it and promoted the Rule of Law in our sub-region. In The Gambia, we helped guarantee the first democratic transition since independence. In Guinea-Bissau we stood by the democratically elected Government when it faced mutiny. And in the Republic of Chad, following the tragic death of its President, the late Idris Deby Itno in the battle field, we joined forces with its other neighbours and international partners to stabilize the country and encourage the peaceful transition to democracy, a process which is ongoing.
- We believe in the sanctity of constitutional term limits and we have steadfastly adhered to it in Nigeria. We have seen the corrosive impact on values when leaders elsewhere seek to change the rules to stay on in power. Indeed, we now are preparing for general elections in Nigeria next February. At the 78th UNGA, there will be a new face at this podium speaking for Nigeria.
- Ours is a vast country strengthened by its diversity and its common values of hard work, enduring faith and a sense of community. We have invested heavily to strengthen our framework for free and fair elections. I thank our partners for all the support that they have provided our election institutions.
- As President, I have set the goal that one of the enduring legacies I would like to leave is to entrench a process of free, fair and transparent and credible elections through which Nigerians elect leaders of their choice.
Mr. President,
- The multiple challenges that face us are truly interconnected and urgent, and your choice of this Session’s theme “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges” is apt. In keeping with our obligations as Member States of this noble Organisation, we all must do our utmost to work with you toward resolving them. In this regard, I reiterate my Delegation’s full and resolute cooperation.
- Let me convey my final reflection from this famous podium. We live in extraordinary times with interdependent challenges but enormous opportunities. The pace of change can seem bewildering, with sometimes a palpable and unsettling sense of uncertainty about our future. But if my years in public service have taught me anything, it is that we must keep faith with those values that endure. These include, but are not limited to such values as justice, honour, integrity, ceaseless endeavour, and partnership within and between nations.
- Our strongest moments have always been when we remain true to the basic principles of tolerance, community, and abiding commitment to peace and goodwill towards all.
I thank you all.
PDP Crisis: Atiku backs Ayu
Early this morning, my attention was drawn to a news clip in which several very senior and influential members of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), addressed the press and, amongst other things, declared that they are withdrawing, forthwith, from the Presidential Campaign Council set up by our party to judiciously plan and prosecute the general elections set to hold in February and March 2023, on the one hand; and reiterated their earlier calls for the resignation or removal from office of the national chairman of our party, Senator Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, on the other hand.
The people that addressed the press must have their reasons for withdrawing from the Presidential Campaign Council, and I will not speculate as to what those reasons may be.
Personally, I am quite surprised with this withdrawal because, as I have been informed by officials of our party, apart from the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, all the remaining states of the federation submitted names of people who they wanted included in the Presidential Campaign Council.
On the calls for the resignation or removal from office of our national chairman, however, I must reiterate what I have said severally in public and in private; the decision for Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign from office is personal to Dr. Ayu and, neither I nor anyone else can make that decision for him. As to the calls for the removal of Dr. Ayu from office, however, I will state that, as a committed democrat and firm believer in the rule of law and democratic tenets, and our party being one set up, organized and regulated by law and our constitution, it is my absolute belief that everything that we do in our party must be done in accordance with, and conformity to, the law and our constitution.
If Dr. Ayu is to be removed from office, it must be done in accordance with the laws that set out the basis for such removal. In any event, you will all recall that the very body that is empowered by law to initiate this removal from office has already passed a vote of confidence in him.
Now, our nation is currently in the throes of a multidimensional crisis encompassing insecurity, economic meltdown, disunity and mutual mistrust and educational dislocations, to mention a few. I have a plan to address these issues and I have, graciously, been given the ticket to lead our great party in next year’s presidential elections, with the singular mandate to come and lead the efforts to cure these ills. It is in this light that I have reached out to every single member of our great party to join me in the massive undertaking required to reset the ship of state, and help rebuild our country.
Every single person who loves this country, as I do, is needed for the arduous tasks that face us ahead as a nation, and this includes every member of the PDP.
And it is my fervent hope and prayer that every man and woman of goodwill will join hands with us to help rebuild and reposition our beloved country.
In this light, therefore, I will urge those members of our party that have stated their resolve to withdraw from the Presidential Campaign Council to have a rethink, retrace their steps, and join us in these efforts.
The above notwithstanding and for the sake of our country, our children and those yet unborn, we must not for one minute, shirk in our responsibilities to rebuild this beloved country of ours.
Accordingly, we must forge on with the task and the mandate that we have been bestowed with. It is time, therefore, to move on with the formidable tasks of nation building ahead of us.
May God guide us all, and may God soothe our great party, and our dear country.
Atiku Abubakar (GCON)
Waziri Adamawa
Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.