By Sani Adamu
Unarguably, President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Malta for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) recently provides an opportunity for Nigeria to draw more global attention to the country’s potential and challenges.
Fifty-three countries from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific, are members of the Commonwealth.
Thirty-one of the member-countries are classified as small states; countries with a population size of 1.5 million people or less and larger member states that share similar characteristics with them.
But all members have an equal say regardless of size or economic stature to ensure that even the smallest member country has a voice in shaping the Commonwealth.
All members subscribe to the Commonwealth’s values and principles outlined in the Commonwealth Charter.
Leaders of member countries shape Commonwealth policies and priorities and they meet every two years to discuss issues affecting the Commonwealth and the wider world at CHOGM.
Entitled “The Commonwealth –Adding Global Value’’, the recent meeting showcased the capacity of CHOGM to advise and assist member countries in the areas of education, economy, military cooperation and governance, among other challenges.
Reaffirming the unwavering commitment of Nigeria and other African member-countries to sustain CHOGM’s relevance, Buhari pledged Nigeria’s commitment towards the promotion and protection of the core values of the Commonwealth.
“I came into power via democratic principles and values espoused by this same body. Nigeria will continue to protect and promote these democratic ideals,’’ Buhari said.
He called on the Commonwealth to render more support for member countries confronted by insurgency.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
He also said that he was confident that terrorism would be ultimately defeated with greater international cooperation and collaboration.
“We have had the opportunity to discuss, in a serene atmosphere, wide ranging issues that are of great significance, not only to the members of the Commonwealth, but to the entire global community.
“Of particular note is the Action Statement on Climate Change, which is expected to herald our commitment to saving the planet for present and future generations.
“We are witnesses to the growing phenomenon of terrorism that is affecting us all, whether big or small.
“The reign of terror will only succeed if peace-loving people choose to remain idle. But I am confident that through our collective efforts, we will defeat this scourge and restore peace,’’ he said.
The president noted that violent extremism and terrorism could only thrive and endure if good people remained idle and complacent.
Buhari also recalled how the Commonwealth helped Nigeria during the civil war, stressing that the country was still faced with intractable problem of insurgency and corruption, among others.
He solicited the establishment of a commonwealth committee to oversee the rendering of assistance and support to Nigeria and other member-countries affected by the scourge of terrorism.
Expressing the hope that the committee would be established before the next meeting of the organisation, Buhari said that such committee, when functional, should visit member-countries of the Commonwealth affected by insurgency.
According to him, such visit will give the Commonwealth the insight to what practical strategies would be needed to assist them.
He urged the Commonwealth to show greater resolve in helping Nigeria and other developing nations with similar challenges.
“What happened recently in France had a profound effect on all of us, but very few countries realise that Nigeria has suffered terrorist casualties of more than 10,000 killed in the last six years.
“Right now, we have more than two million internally displaced persons, most of whom are women and children and most of the children are orphans,’’ he said.
Buhari, however, said that Nigeria and other neighbouring countries were making efforts to curb insurgency.
“We have agreed to a joint task-force for the elimination of Boko Haram insurgency, but it may not be easy,’’ he said.
He expressed appreciation for the assistance received from the Commonwealth, Britain, the Group of Seven Industrialised Nations, France and the United States to fight terrorism.
“The Commonwealth has helped us in so many ways by the visible support they have been giving to help us to overcome the problem of terrorism,’’ he said.
Speaking on corruption with a group of leaders of the 53-member-countries body, Buhari urged the international community to do more to support Nigeria’s efforts to curb corruption in the oil and gas industry.
He insisted that corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector and outright theft of the country’s crude oil had been exacerbated by the culture of impunity which reigned under previous administrations.
He noted that corruption in the sector had also thrived because of the ease of transferring illicit funds abroad and the institutional protection given to corrupt officials in the past.
“Now that we have the political will to stop impunity, we need the cooperation and assistance of the international community.
“We must all work together to compel multinational oil companies, international financial institutions and international shipping lines to stop aiding and abetting corruption in the oil sector in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Sharing similar sentiments, British Prime Minister David Cameron, noted that the Commonwealth and the international community must do more to fight corruption and promote good governance.
“We care passionately about this issue of fighting corruption; this issue needs to have a much higher billing on the international agenda.
“Other things we want to achieve as countries and members of the Commonwealth depend on our success in doing so.
“If we want fair economic growth, we need to reject corruption. If we want to see fair and sustainable development, we need to deal with corruption.
“I think this is an absolutely vital issue. It is an issue for all of us because so much of the money stolen from developing countries is hidden in developed countries.
“So, dealing with money laundering, dealing with beneficial ownership and making sure we stop stolen money being hidden away in developed countries, is absolutely vital,’’ he said in his opening remarks at the group’s meeting.
In response to Buhari’s appeal, Ambassador Kamalesh Sharma, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, pledged that Commonwealth would help to rebuild Nigeria and strengthen the country.
The meeting also resolved to promote youth participation in national development and peace building across member countries.
Recognising corruption as a major challenge facing the world today, the meeting also agreed to work together to strengthen international, regional and national responses to corruption through enhanced transparency and collaboration among law enforcement bodies.
By and large, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of England, noted at the meeting that meaningful progress demands that those values be put into practice.
According to her, this is possible by mobilising the vast network of civil society group members who work to strengthen health, laws and governance across all our countries.(NANFeatures)
