Abuja – The Federal Government has solicited more support from the European Union (EU) in addressing the country’s problems, especially corruption and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made the call when the Head of EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Amb. Michel Arion visited her on Thursday in Abuja.
Dabiri-Erewa commended the EU for its efforts at assisting the country, adding that much could still be done by Europe to further help Nigeria.
She urged the union to do everything possible to discourage the movement of stolen funds from Nigeria to offshore accounts in Europe.
“EU should ensure that its banking system is unattractive for our economic looters,” she said
The president’s aide also urged EU to help the country in addressing the problem of returning refugees from neighbouring countries.
She added that the country was expecting over 50,000 displaced persons from Cameroon, explaining that they were displaced by the activities of the Boko Haram.
Earlier, Arion had assured the presidential aide of EU’s plan to help Nigeria in addressing the IDPs’ situation in the North-East.
He stated that EU-Nigeria relationship which spanned 40 years had been fruitful.
He disclosed that EU, which would commemorate its Day on Monday, would also assist Nigeria in checking the challenges associated with women and children in IDP camps.
On migration, Arion agreed that it was impossible to stop people from migrating, even to Europe, but said that there could be an arrangement that would ensure that the problem of irregular migrants were regulated.
He said that the issue would encourage intra-African migration, adding that high number of migration, about 90 per cent, took place in West Africa. (NAN)
