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“The re-constitution of the Council, to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community, is both a political and moral imperative.”
Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, New York
President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed corruption for the Federal Government’s inability to provide meaningful livelihoods to Nigeria’s population who are predominantly youths, thus giving rise to more irregular migration.
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Buhari said this in New York, the United States of America, yesterday, during the opening day of the General Debate of the 73rd Session of the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA73), where he unfolded Nigeria’s positions on international issues before the global audience.
Addressing the issue of corruption within countries and illicit flow of funds across national boundaries which, Buhari said in a statement released by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, “have huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions in developing countries,” he further noted that “corruption significantly deprives national governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods to their populations who are predominantly youths, thus, giving rise to more irregular migration.”
The president noted that the fight against corruption is a collective assignment which involves all stakeholders.
“It is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin.
“Fighting corruption or resolving international conflicts, crises and wars; defeating terrorism and piracy; curbing arms trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which fuel these conflicts, particularly in Africa; stemming irregular migration by addressing its root causes; and the many other global challenges we are faced with, today, can only be effectively addressed through multilateral cooperation and concerted action.
“The only global institutional framework we have to address these challenges is the United Nations system. That is why we continue to call for the strengthening of the Organisation and making it more effective, by speeding up the pace of progress towards its reform, including that of its principal organ, the Security Council.
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“The re-constitution of the Council, to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community, is both a political and moral imperative.
“We believe that a reformed Security Council, with expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is in accord with prevailing international consensus and it is in our collective interest to do so. It is high time we stopped skirting round the issue and establish achievable benchmarks and time frames for these reforms.”
Buhari while giving a background to the call, reiterated that, “I assure you all that in this advocacy, I am only reflecting Nigeria’s deep and abiding commitment to our Organisation and its founding principles and goals.
“From the date we joined in 1960, we have contributed our quota to the fulfilment of the mandate of the UN. We have been active participants in many Security Council and African Union authorised Peace Keeping operations around the world, beginning with the Democratic Republic of Congo operations in 1960.
“Furthermore, Nigeria has always mobilised the required human and material resources to achieve set United Nations goals, including the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are resolute in complementing the efforts and examples of the United Nations to promote gender equality and youth empowerment as necessary pillars for sustainable development.”
He noted that “without these, there can be neither enduring peace nor security. As we set and implement our national policies to achieve these goals, we, in the spirit of international solidarity, will readily cooperate with other nations seeking to achieve similar goals for their own populations to help ensure that no one is left behind.”
Buhari also paid glowing tributes to the late seventh UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, for his invaluable contributions to global peace.
“We in Africa, while mourning the loss of this great son of ours and citizen of the world, take pride in the way he served humanity in a truly exemplary manner. He demonstrated, in his calm but determined manner, the virtues of compassion, dedication to the cause of justice, fairness and human rights. He was a visionary leader who inspired hope even in the face of the most daunting challenges. He devoted his entire life’s career to the UN and the pursuit of its ideals and goals. The world is indeed a better place thanks to his exemplary service.”
