President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday met with Hissein Brahim Taha,Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), President Azali Assoumani.
The President met them as part of his engagements with global leaders ahead of the commencement of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the first as the Nigerian leader.
The President will today ( Tuesday) first day of the High-Level General Debate of the 78th UNGA Session, deliver his inaugural National Statement at the meeting with the. theme of the UNGA is: “Rebuilding trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.”
But the President, who met with Hissein Brahim Taha,Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), urged the body to counsel Muslim leaders on the peace and respect for the will of Allah.
“The effort we are making in the Sahel is significant. We know we must double our efforts. We must tell our Muslim brothers struggling to steal power that only Allah chooses leaders. We must respect the will of Allah. I am ready to collaborate with you.
Your efforts in supporting agricultural growth and food security through providing resources from Islamic banks have been most commendable, and our region is appreciative. I am determined to work with you in uplifting Nigerians and Africans,”
In his response, the leader of the 57-nation body of cooperation praised the Nigerian President for his active effort in bringing African states to a place of shared understanding, according to Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.
“We must gain consensus on the need for peace, especially amongst our member states. When you were elected as ECOWAS Chairman, it gave us confidence and hope that the situation in the Sahel region would improve because you are bringing people together. We were also happy about your election as President of Nigeria, and we see the changes,” the OIC leader stated.
The OIC Secretary-General also invited President Tinubu to participate at the OIC Heads of State Summit, expected to be held in a few months.
President Bola Tinubu, in a separate bilateral discussion with the President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), President Azali Assoumani, on Monday in New York, asserted that the African Union (AU) is strategically positioned to secure consensus positions for the continent on economic and socio-political relations with the world, particularly with Nigeria’s stalwart backing
“Nothing can bring development and prosperity outside of embracing freedom and constitutional order. It is a critical hallmark of sustainable development. We appreciate that the AU is working hard to bring peace in the Sahel and actively negotiating between the warring factions in Sudan. Peace in Sudan will be a great achievement. I appreciate your effort in Burkina Faso and our practical cooperation on Niger.
“You can call me at anytime and we will discuss the peace and stability of AU member states. We need stability and prosperity for the black race. This is our era. We must be peaceful in order to take maximum advantage of the developmental opportunities presented to Africa in this era. We must build a model of sustainable development.
Nigeria will collaborate with you. But we must move beyond those whose vision of Africa is narrow and evil. We are not afraid of confrontation, but we prefer to be restrained for now, at this time,” the President declared.
The Chairperson of the African Union, President Azali Assoumani, noted that it seeks to complete Nigeria’s effort in securing peace and prosperity in Africa, rather than competing with it.
“It is our responsibility to confront the extra-constitutional wrestling for power on the continent. We have told China and Russia that they have a responsibility to ensure stability in these countries, as there will be no developmental partnership where there is a lack of stability in countries impacted by coupists. We appreciate your stand on these matters,” the AU Chairperson said.
As President of the Union of Comoros, the AU Chairperson said that Comoros seeks to learn from Nigeria’s experience concerning the steady improvement in diversity management, electoral officiation and economic growth over many years.
“We want to turn our country into an emerging economy, and we need the experience of Nigeria as we seek your cooperation to conduct an election that will win us the respect of the international community and allow us to develop at the right speed and quality,” the Comoros President emphasized.
