President Muhammadu Buhari has held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Great Britain on the margins of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda, during which he once again reiterated his resolve to respect the maximum term limit in the Nigerian Constitution.
The PM, obviously not quite familiar with the maximum two terms limit, had asked if President Buhari would run for office again, To which the latter responded that the first person who tried it didn’t end very well.
On the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, not being allowed to see his lawyers privately, the President dispelled such insinuation, saying the detained separatist was being given every opportunity under the law “to justify all the uncomplimentary things he had been saying against Nigeria in Britain.”
President Buhari said : “He felt very safe in Britain, and said awful things against Nigeria. Nigerian Government eventually got him when he stepped out of the United Kingdom, and sent him to court. Let him defend all that he has said there. His lawyers have access to him. Remember he jumped bail before, how is Nigerian Government sure that he won’t do it again, if he’s admitted to bail?
On the keenness expressed by the PM to help Nigeria in the area of security, the President said helping to stabilize Libya could be an initial good step, as the fall of Muammar Gadaffi after 42 years in power unleashed his armed guards on countries in the Sahel, “and they are causing havoc everywhere, as the only thing they know how to do is to shoot guns.”
On insurgency, President Buhari said there was serious effort to educate the people, “You can’t take innocent souls, and ascribe it to God. And the education process is working
PM Johnson said he was delighted about the good news on trade between the two countries, adding that the UK was further reducing tariffs on some goods going to Nigeria.
He described the relationship between the countries as “very strong attachment,” adding: “I just want to be sure that we are doing enough. It’s a massive partnership for us, and we need to capitalize on it.”
The Prime Minister offered condolences on some recent attacks in Nigeria, particularly on churches.
Bello Wakili
