Buhari to UN: We’ll continue to do our best to stabilise West Africa, restates support for Sahrawi Republic

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed Nigeria’s commitment to stabilising the West-African sub-region within available resources.
A statement by the President’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, said that Buhari stated this at the State House, Abuja during an audience with Mohammad Ibn Chambas, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, on Thursday, at the State House, Abuja.
The President was quoted as saying that he was pleased that the United Nations appreciated his administration’s focus on fighting corruption and poverty as well as ensuring regional stability.
Buhari was also quoted to have restated his belief that peaceful relations with Nigeria’s neighbours remained imperative to confronting terrorism and insurgency.
Chambas, who represented the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guiterres at the Democracy Day celebration, said the UN boss extended his personal admiration for President Buhari’s “integrity and quality as a statesman especially, in fighting corruption and driving public accountability.”
He said that the UN was appreciative of the Nigerian leader’s commitment to tackling poverty, terrorism, and insurgency as well as recharging the Lake Chad.
While pledging UN’s continued technical support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) toward the next general elections, Chambas also expressed the global body’s delight that Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande, was elected President of the 74th UN General Assembly.
He described Bande as “highly regarded by his peers in New York,” adding: “We will ensure his tenure is a success.
“We have no doubt that he will be a pride to Nigeria and Africa”.
He revealed that Buhari, on Thursday, received in audience the First Vice-President of the Republic of South Sudan, Taban Deng Gai, who came to seek Nigeria’s continued support towards lasting peace in his country.
Buhari also restated Nigeria’s support for the people of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and her quest for self-determination and independence.
At an audience granted the President of SADR, Brahim Ghali, at the State House, the Nigerian leader stressed that the country’s position is in line with the several resolutions of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) on the matter.
He said: “Nigeria remains committed to supporting the efforts of the AU and the UN towards finding a lasting solution to the Sahrawi problem.”
Earlier, Ghali had congratulated Buhari on his re-election and the successful celebration of Democracy Day.
He commended Nigeria’s past support for SADR during President Buhari’s tenure as military Head of State, and the country’s support for liberation movements on the African continent.
The SADR leader said the weight of Nigeria’s support remained crucial to the final resolution of the “continued colonisation of his people.”
Nigeria had recognised SADR on November 11, 1984 when Buhari was Head of State.