President Muhammadu Buhari will today jet out to Cameroon to fine-tune plans with his Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya on how best to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency.
President Buhari will for the first time be accompanied outside the country with six governors drawn from across party lines.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina listed the governors as Alhaji Mohammed Bindow (Adamawa), Mr. Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Mr. Samuel Ortom (Benue), Alhaji Kashim Shettima (Borno), Mr. Ben Ayade (Cross River) and Mr. Darius Ishaku (Taraba).
Also on the president’s entourage are the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA.
The Nigerian delegation will also discuss further joint measures to curb terrorism, violent extremism and other cross-border crimes with President Biya and Cameroonian government officials.
Adesina described the trip as part of the president’s ongoing effort to build a more effective regional coalition against Boko Haram.
“The talks between President Buhari and his Cameroonian counterpart are expected to focus on the full activation and deployment of the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram, which has been established under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
“President Buhari will also use the opportunity of his visit to Yaoundé to meet with Nigerians living in Cameroun,” he said.
The President, who is due back in Abuja tomorrow, will also undertake a one-day trip to Benin Republic on Saturday for talks with President Boni Yayi to round-off the diplomatic shuttles to neighbouring countries.
Adesina recalled that the president had embarked on the sub-regional trip upon assumption of office to strengthen regional cooperation against terrorism and make it harder for Boko Haram to operate across national boundaries. – National Mirror.
