Britain to Assist Nigeria in Retrieving Looted Funds
THE British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron has pledged more
assistance for the country in tracking and retrieving looted public
funds.
Prime Minister in a goodwill message to President Muhammadu Buhari
requested a list of what Nigeria wants to help succeed against the
current challenges facing the country.
He asked President Buhari to attend the forthcoming meeting of the
"G7" industrialized nations with a "wish list". The summit is
scheduled for June 7-9 in Berlin, Germany.
The British Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Philip
Hammond who delivered the message said:"We are waiting for your own
list."
This meeting was a follow-up to an earlier one between the then
President-elect and Mr. Cameron in London during which commitments
were given to the in-coming administration in several areas, including
the fight against terrorism, power and energy and such matters of
common concerns of migration challenges facing the continent as well
what he called "intelligence fusion" to secure Africa from global
terror.
He also raised the issue of "free trade" between the EU and Africa, a
proposal he said enjoyed the support of several countries on the
continent and in support of which he sought to enlist the backing of
President Buhari.
The President promised to prepare the government's aspirations for the
summit which he said he will attend.
And in a statement yesterday in Abuja, Mr. Hammond said his country
would assist the Buhari administration to track and retrieve looted
funds.
He said the UK believes that Nigeria's wealth should be spent for the
benefit of all citizens.
He said about 250,000 Nigerians are currently residing in the UK
while bilateral trade with Nigeria stands at over £7 billion per year.
Besides, Hammond, pledged UK's preparedness to collaborate in
tackling Boko Haram.
Describing Buhari's ascension to power as important moment for
Nigeria, Hammond said: "there are many serious challenges ahead.
"In our conversations with him and his team both before, and since,
the election, we have found many points of agreement on both the size
and shape of these challenges, and the way to address them.
"In particular we agree with President Buhari's top priorities:
tackling corruption; addressing the root causes of instability in the
North East; and stabilising the economy in the face of low oil prices.
"We also stand ready to help where we can with the government's
priority of tackling the diversion and leakage of money so that
Nigeria's wealth can be spent for the benefit of all.
"Nigeria can and should be one of the great African success stories
of the 21st Century. The UK is determined to be a close partner as
Nigeria reaches that goal. Together we should seize this moment of
renewal, and strengthen yet further our long-standing partnership."
On Boko Haram, Hammond said the UK is "ready to support President
Buhari and his new government as they begin their programme for a
secure and prosperous Nigeria.
"As we have been increasingly doing over the last year, we look
forward to working closely with the Nigerian government and security
forces to help them tackle Boko Haram and bring lasting stability to
the North East.
"We will share our experiences in building strong security
architecture accountable to an informed political system; the two need
to work in harmony, to an agreed set of objectives and standards. And
we will continue to support the training of Nigerian soldiers to
improve their ability to defeat Boko Haram on the battlefield.
"Stability is not delivered by an effective military alone. We are
also working extensively with many States throughout the country on
development programmes which bring health, education and employment
opportunity to communities threatened by instability."
He said Britain was looking forward to a new beginning for a
long-standing partnership with Nigeria.
Speaking separately, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James F.
Entwistle said his country has always been in support of Nigeria and
remains committed to assisting it in every way possible
His words: " In terms of what we expect from this government, the US
and Nigeria has always had good relations.
"From government to government, it has always been up and down
sometimes but we have always had fundamentally good relations and that
will continue with the Buhari administration. President Buhari
graciously spent few minutes talking to Secretary Kerry after the
inauguration very quickly. Of course it was a short private chat.
"We focused on the future, doing even more on top of the extensive
assistance we already given against terrorist threat, what can we do
to help more on the power sector, things like that. So the future is
very bright, not only with government but with private sectors."
Mr. Han Changfu, who led the Chinese delegation to the inauguration
also had an audience with President Buhari. He asked Nigeria to open
avenues for Chinese investments.
China promised to help out in such areas as agriculture, power and railways.
President Dennis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo at a meeting
with Buhari said he was mandated by other leaders in Central Africa to
consult with their counterparts in the ECOWAS with a view to tackling
common challenges especially the one posed by terrorism. Nguesso also
requested President Buhari to assume his rightful place as the leader
of Africa.
President Buhari agreed that the meeting holds before the next African
Union in South Africa as suggested.
assistance for the country in tracking and retrieving looted public
funds.
Prime Minister in a goodwill message to President Muhammadu Buhari
requested a list of what Nigeria wants to help succeed against the
current challenges facing the country.
He asked President Buhari to attend the forthcoming meeting of the
"G7" industrialized nations with a "wish list". The summit is
scheduled for June 7-9 in Berlin, Germany.
The British Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Philip
Hammond who delivered the message said:"We are waiting for your own
list."
This meeting was a follow-up to an earlier one between the then
President-elect and Mr. Cameron in London during which commitments
were given to the in-coming administration in several areas, including
the fight against terrorism, power and energy and such matters of
common concerns of migration challenges facing the continent as well
what he called "intelligence fusion" to secure Africa from global
terror.
He also raised the issue of "free trade" between the EU and Africa, a
proposal he said enjoyed the support of several countries on the
continent and in support of which he sought to enlist the backing of
President Buhari.
The President promised to prepare the government's aspirations for the
summit which he said he will attend.
And in a statement yesterday in Abuja, Mr. Hammond said his country
would assist the Buhari administration to track and retrieve looted
funds.
He said the UK believes that Nigeria's wealth should be spent for the
benefit of all citizens.
He said about 250,000 Nigerians are currently residing in the UK
while bilateral trade with Nigeria stands at over £7 billion per year.
Besides, Hammond, pledged UK's preparedness to collaborate in
tackling Boko Haram.
Describing Buhari's ascension to power as important moment for
Nigeria, Hammond said: "there are many serious challenges ahead.
"In our conversations with him and his team both before, and since,
the election, we have found many points of agreement on both the size
and shape of these challenges, and the way to address them.
"In particular we agree with President Buhari's top priorities:
tackling corruption; addressing the root causes of instability in the
North East; and stabilising the economy in the face of low oil prices.
"We also stand ready to help where we can with the government's
priority of tackling the diversion and leakage of money so that
Nigeria's wealth can be spent for the benefit of all.
"Nigeria can and should be one of the great African success stories
of the 21st Century. The UK is determined to be a close partner as
Nigeria reaches that goal. Together we should seize this moment of
renewal, and strengthen yet further our long-standing partnership."
On Boko Haram, Hammond said the UK is "ready to support President
Buhari and his new government as they begin their programme for a
secure and prosperous Nigeria.
"As we have been increasingly doing over the last year, we look
forward to working closely with the Nigerian government and security
forces to help them tackle Boko Haram and bring lasting stability to
the North East.
"We will share our experiences in building strong security
architecture accountable to an informed political system; the two need
to work in harmony, to an agreed set of objectives and standards. And
we will continue to support the training of Nigerian soldiers to
improve their ability to defeat Boko Haram on the battlefield.
"Stability is not delivered by an effective military alone. We are
also working extensively with many States throughout the country on
development programmes which bring health, education and employment
opportunity to communities threatened by instability."
He said Britain was looking forward to a new beginning for a
long-standing partnership with Nigeria.
Speaking separately, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James F.
Entwistle said his country has always been in support of Nigeria and
remains committed to assisting it in every way possible
His words: " In terms of what we expect from this government, the US
and Nigeria has always had good relations.
"From government to government, it has always been up and down
sometimes but we have always had fundamentally good relations and that
will continue with the Buhari administration. President Buhari
graciously spent few minutes talking to Secretary Kerry after the
inauguration very quickly. Of course it was a short private chat.
"We focused on the future, doing even more on top of the extensive
assistance we already given against terrorist threat, what can we do
to help more on the power sector, things like that. So the future is
very bright, not only with government but with private sectors."
Mr. Han Changfu, who led the Chinese delegation to the inauguration
also had an audience with President Buhari. He asked Nigeria to open
avenues for Chinese investments.
China promised to help out in such areas as agriculture, power and railways.
President Dennis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo at a meeting
with Buhari said he was mandated by other leaders in Central Africa to
consult with their counterparts in the ECOWAS with a view to tackling
common challenges especially the one posed by terrorism. Nguesso also
requested President Buhari to assume his rightful place as the leader
of Africa.
President Buhari agreed that the meeting holds before the next African
Union in South Africa as suggested.
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