President Muhammadu Buhari
said Friday in Abuja that with the formation of a stronger regional
coalition, Nigeria and neighbouring countries now have an increased capacity to
deal effectively with Boko Haram and other terrorist groups.
Speaking at an audience with Dr. Mohammed Ibn
Chambas, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative and
Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa, President Buhari reaffirmed
his belief that the full activation and deployment of the Multi National
Joint Task Force which has been established under the auspices of the Lake Chad
Basin Commission will lead to the speedy defeat and elimination of Boko Haram.
The President added that with the Command and
Control Centre of the Nigerian military now in Maiduguri, Borno State, the
morale of troops in the front-line states had improved significantly.
“You can tell the Secretary-General that we are
doing our best and our best will be good enough for the nation and the
sub-region,’’ President Buhari told Dr. Ibn Chambas.
Against the background of upcoming elections in
Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea and Burkina Faso, the President also called on the United
Nations to assist African countries in the acquisition and use of
innovative technologies to ensure more credible elections.
“When citizens recognize that their votes count,
it will boost their confidence in democracy and their countries’ electoral
systems,” he said.
Recalling that in the last general elections in
Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission used smart card readers
to authenticate prospective voters, President Buhari observed that while
Nigeria could afford the use of such technology in its elections, other African
countries may require support and assistance from the international community.
Dr. Ibn Chambas commended President Buhari
for his strong and positive actions against terrorism.
The United Nations envoy also welcomed President
Buhari’s successful visit to Cameroon this week and his reaffirmation of
Nigeria’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of all border issues with
Cameroon.
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