President Muhammadu Buhari Meets Obama - Appoints Ministers In September
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, implored his United States counterpart, Barack Obama, to assist Nigeria in locating and returning about $150 billion looted by corrupt government officials.
President Buhari made the appeal in an article he published in Washington Post, yesterday, shortly before he met with President Obama as part of his four-day working visit to the United States.
The appeal for assistance came as Obama expressed confidence in the ability of President Buhari to tackle the multiple challenges facing Nigeria through his clear agenda.
Buhari, who enumerated what he has done so far to decimate the Boko Haram insurgents including replacing the service chiefs and how governance had been badly run in the country, stressed the need to recover the stolen funds.
"The fact that I now seek Obama’s assistance in locating and returning $150 billion in funds stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank accounts on behalf of former, corrupt officials is a testament to how badly Nigeria has been run. This way of conducting our affairs cannot continue,’’ he said in the article.
We’ll assist, we‘ve confidence in Buhari — Obama
Welcoming President Buhari, the US President said the Nigerian leader had come with a clear agenda to tackle the problem of insecurity occasioned by activities of Boko Haram sect as well as other violent criminal activities.
Obama expressed appreciation over Buhari’s leadership style so far, saying that his administration would continue to assist and help Nigeria in overcoming her challenges.
He said: “It is a great pleasure to welcome President Buhari and his delegation here in the White House for his first visit since the historic election that took place. Nigeria is obviously one of the most important countries in the world, one of the most important countries in the African continent.
“Recently, we saw an election in which a peaceful transition to a new government took place. Nevertheless, the people of Nigeria understand that only through a peaceful political process that change can take place.
“President Buhari came into office with reputation for integrity and a very clear agenda that is to make sure that he has been bringing safely security and peace to his country. He is very concerned about the spread and the violence that is taking place there and the atrocities and has a very clear agenda in defeating Boko Haram and extremists.
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