President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said with the coming on board of the Multi National Joint Task Force which has been established under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Nigeria and neighbouring countries are now on a better stead to defeat the Boko Haram sect.
He said with the formation of what he called stronger regional coalition, the countries in the region had an increased capacity to deal effectively with the sect and other terrorist groups.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted the President as speaking while granting audience to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Adesina, said Buhari reaffirmed his belief that the full activation and deployment of the joint task force would 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,’’ Buhari told Chambas.
Against the background of upcoming elections in Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea and Burkina Faso, the President also called on the UN to assist African countries in the acquisition and use of innovative technologies to ensure more credible elections.
“When citizens recognise 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.
Chambas commended Buhari for his strong and positive actions against terrorism.
The UN envoy also welcomed the President’s successful visit to Cameroon this week and his reaffirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of all border issues with Cameroon.
