24th August, 2015
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
Secretary General of United Nations, Ban Ki-moon has demanded the immediate release of the 219 schoolgirls kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State on 14, April, 2013.
Ki-moon who is on a two-day visit to Nigeria made the demand after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
The UN Secretary General told journalists that one of the key points of his discussion with the Nigerian President was issues of security, especially the
“intolerable levels of violence and terror perpetrated by ISlamist sect, Boko Haram in Northeastern Nigeria and beyond.”
While promising that the UN will work together with the Nigerian people to address and counter extremism, Moon noted that this week will mark 500 days of kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls.
While reiterating his support for the abducted girls and others abductees whose name and fate, he noted remains unknown, the UN Secretary General noted that it is intolerable that lives and schooling of the children have been disrupted.
“The whole world has been moved by their fate. I once again call on those responsible to unconditionally release these girls and many others including children,” said Moon.
He also commended the efforts of the President in the revival of the Multi National Joint Task Force as he noted that since terrorism knows no boundary and no bounds, collaboration is indispensable in addressing it.
“The President has led regional engagement efforts and I am hopeful for the rapid operationalisation of the Multi-national joint task force,” Moon said.
He also applauded the President for acknowledging the fact that observation of human rights is important part of counter insurgency operations and that the war against Boko Haram will be conducted with full respects for human rights, humanitarian and refugee laws.
The UN Secretary General also noted that military approach alone would not be sufficient to defeat Boko Haram and that he had discussed efforts to address root causes of the insurgency by checking social economic grievances in the North East, in particular, the need to extend educational and employment opportunities to our young people with President Buhari.
While describing the humanitarian situation in the North East Nigeria as “particularly worrying, Moon said the UN is working with its partners on the ground to scale up humanitarian operations.
He however commended President Buhari on his efforts to protect and uphold the rights of displaced persons.
The UN Secretary General who noted that he is in the country at the time of “complex challenges, but also a time of promise and hope” had earlier in his speech commended Nigeria 2015 election which he described as peaceful, credible and worthy of emulation by countries around the world.
“I want to commend the people of Nigeria on the peaceful, free and fair elections and also, I salute the statesmanship and example of both President Buhari and former President Goodluck Jonathan. For the first time, in Nigeria’s history, a sitting President peacefully ceded power to an opposition candidate in a democratic election. The election sent a strong global message of respect for democracy and rule of law,” said Moon who commended President prioritizing security, anti corruption and unemployment issues in his change agenda.
He pledged the support of the United Nations for efforts for hope, peace, sustainable development and human rights in a comprehensive way with expectations the country can positively influence change in other parts of the continent.
In the same vein, Moon also acknowledged the role Nigeria has in stability of the West Africa sub region and the wider continent. “You are a key contributor to UN peace keeping operations, including successful missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Nigeria is once again playing a crucial role in UN Security Council over which Ambassador Joy Ogwu is now presiding this month as the resident of the Security Council,” Moon who added that recent agreement by the UN member states on the new Sustainable Development Agenda and on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda will provide further financing increase for Nigeria to achieve its agenda for change.
In his response, President Buhari thanked the UN Secretary General for his depth of appreciation of Nigerian problems. “We have discussed with him the difficult times Nigeria has find itself- the destruction of infrastructure, especially in the North East, the rehabilitation of infrastructure and over 1.5 million internally displaced persons that have to be morally, physically and materially rehabilitated.
And the efforts we think the United Nations Secretary General can convey to the United Nations so that Nigeria can be helped in the identified problems we have,” the Nigerian President added.