Ban ki-Moon and Nigeria president Buhari
The United Nations Secretary paid a two-day visit to Nigerian during which he held high-level talks with authorities.
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organisation (UNO) who arrived in Nigeria on Sunday, August 23, 2015 on the heels a suspected Boko Haram ambush on the convoy carrying Nigeria's Army Chief-of-staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, told Nigerians that it was “a time of hope.”
The hallmark of the visit were talks the visiting UN chief had with the Nigerian new leader, President Muhammadu Buhari. In a private meeting of State Governors in Abuja, Ban Ki-moon said, "Across our world, we see insecurity, inequality, growing divides," CCTV Africa reported quoting a UN statement. "Here in Nigeria, you know the challenges all too well -- including the rise of extremism and the lack of equal opportunity. I know this is a deep and vital challenge in particular for the governors of the northeast... This is also a time of hope. I want to commend you and all of Nigeria's leaders for the peaceful democratic transition of power," the UN Statement further disclosed.
Other highlights of the visit included meetings with leaders focused on, “Pathways to a new Nigeria-Role of Sub-National Governments” and talks with government officials under the theme, “Democracy, Sustainable Development, and Countering Violent Extremism”.
He was also programmed to have a dialogue and lunch with Nigerian business actors under the theme, “The role of Nigerian Business and Economy in Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing Climate Change”. He also had to lay a wreath to commemorate the 4th anniversary of the attack on the United Nation’s House in Abuja and embark on a field visit to Kuje Area Council.
Meanwhile, the ambush on Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai’s convoy occurred on Saturday, August 22, 2015 in Faljari village, 45 kilometres east of the Borno State capital, Maiduguri as the senior officer was visiting troops. Stating that the army chief-of-staff was unharmed, army spokesman, Sani Usman said in a statement that, "The terrorists encountered an overwhelming firepower from the troops in which 10 of them were killed. The troops captured five terrorists. During the encounter, sadly, we lost a soldier, while an officer and four soldiers sustained gunshot wounds."
