President Muhammadu Buhari is at the 70th session of the United Nations General assembly accompanied by a 22 man delegation.
Yesterday, a furore was raised over the failure of the Nigerian contigent to attend a special event which was meant to raise help for people displaced as a result of Boko Haram attacks.
The meeting, Chaired by O’Brian had the leaders of Chad as well as Niger in attendance and there was considerable concern that Nigeria, arguably the country hardest hit by the terrorists was absent.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu explained that the President was absent at the meeting because, “it must be realized that it will be near impossible for any national delegation, no matter its size, to participate in all the meetings that are simultaneously happening in and around the General Assembly in New York.
The meeting at which Nigeria was reportedly absent was not one the official events of the United Nations for which President Muhammadu Buhari and his modest delegation are in New York.
While the meeting referred to in media reports is commendable, it was not the only one or the most important of such meetings in New York that are paying attention to the problem of insecurity, migration and violent extremism in the Lake Chad area and the rest of the world.”
He assured that the President remains committed to fighting terrorism and ensuring peace and stability in Nigeria.
“Indeed, the war against terrorism, improved security across Nigeria and additional measures to give succour to internally displaced persons have been central to discussions President Buhari has had with other world leaders since his arrival in New York on Thursday night.
The issues were dominant in the President’s conversations on Friday with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the King of Spain, His Majesty Don Felipe VI and former Prime-minister Gordon Brown who came with former President Olusegun Obasanjo to discuss the actualization of the safe schools initiative, which is of special interest in parts of Nigeria most vulnerable to terrorist attacks.”