President says he’s satisfied with US-Nigeria relationship

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed satisfaction with the current level of relationship between Nigeria and the United States.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement, said Buhari expressed the sentiment when he received a telephone call from the United States Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, on Thursday.

President Buhari, who congratulated the new Secretary of State on his appointment, recalled his past meeting with Pompeo, then as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and thanked him for the enormous support the US has extended to the Nigerian security and intelligence services.

He again used the occasion to thank President Donald Trump for the warm reception he was given in the course of his recent visit to the White House.

Pompeo assured President Buhari that with him in the Department of State, relations between both countries would get even better.

He reiterated the desire of the US to continue to pursue, side by side with Nigeria, matters of common interest on the African continent, including the fight against terrorism and corruption, trade and development.

President Buhari was last month in Washington DC on a bilateral meeting with President Trump.

Both leaders discussed strategic partnership for peace and security, conflict resolution, as well as the global fight against terrorism.

They also discussed trade, governance, human rights and humanitarian crises.