President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, revealed that his administration had invested over $1 billion in the acquisition of weapons from the United States and other countries in the fight against insurgency since he assumed office in 2015.
The president, according to a statement issued by his media adviser, Femi Adesina, went down memory lane and narrated how two-thirds of Borno State, half of Yobe State, and some local government areas in Adamawa State were under the control of terrorists. He accused some Nigerians of using personal religious beliefs to champion their political and economic interests.
Buhari charged African leaders to take immediate steps to find a lasting solution to the over 10-year-old instability in Libya, which is having a telling effect on neighbouring countries around it.
He stressed the need for the next Summit of the African Union (AU) to take a holistic review of the challenges that continued to fester in Libya, with the hope of finding a pragmatic African approach to resolving the instability in the country.
The President said the move was necessary to ensure that Libya no longer served as a safe-haven for all kinds of weapons and foreign fighters, whose profound impacts started all in the sub-regions and Africa.
Buhari noted that efforts must be concretised towards the curtailment and possible prevention of the circulation of small arms and light weapons, as well as the festering of foreign fighters in the African continent.
According to the Nigerian leader, the idleness of youths and their non-inclusion in the discussion of issues that shape their lives and the future portend danger for the continent, especially in the areas of religious fundamentalism and extremism.
The President urged leaders to put a premium on youth development, with more seriousness and actionable ideas in promoting skills acquisition, while discouraging idleness.
Buhari, who had earlier been invested with the “African Award for Strengthening the Peace“, was described by the Shaykh as a symbol and icon of leadership and integrity, who would remain an inspiration even after leaving office as President.
