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Buhari decries spate of church attacks, says it’s unacceptable 

By Terhemba Daka, Abuja
23 June 2022   |   2:43 am
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday decried the recent spate of church attacks in the country, describing the development as unacceptable

Buhari. Photo/FACEBOOK/FemiAdeshina

Joins other world leaders in Kigali for CHOGM 2022

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday decried the recent spate of church attacks in the country, describing the development as unacceptable. 

“From the tragedy in Owo two weeks ago that shook our nation to its core, to the killings and kidnappings just this weekend in Kaduna State, it is clear that there is a design by wicked people to put the country under religious stress,” he said.

According to President Buhari, “our religious freedom and diversity are what makes Nigeria great. It is this diversity that gives Nigeria its strength. That is why Nigeria’s enemies seek to destroy it, by pitting us against one another.

“We will not let them. The nation will not be distracted or divided by these obviously planned and politically motivated criminal outrages.”

MEANWHILE, President Buhari, yesterday, departed Abuja for Kigali, Rwanda, to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), being held from June 20 to 26.
 
At CHOGM 2022, the President will join other leaders to participate in discussions focused on the progress and prosperity of the more than 2 billion people living in the 54 independent countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific that make up the Commonwealth.
 
The theme is ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming,’ and the Heads of Government are expected to reaffirm their commitment to upholding the Commonwealth Charter, which focuses on democracy, human rights, rule of law, as well as economic opportunities and sustainable development.

 
President Buhari will attend the official opening ceremony on Friday, followed by high-level meetings of Heads of State and Government on Saturday.

The leaders are expected to consider a range of topical issues including post-COVID-19 economic recovery, debt sustainability, climate change, poverty reduction, youth entrepreneurship and employment, trade and food security.
 
Prior to this, the Nigerian delegation was drawn from the public, private and youth organisations that participated in four forums covering youth, women, business and civil society; and will engage in ministerial meetings and several side events.

 
On the margins of the meeting, the Nigerian leader is scheduled to deliver remarks at the High-Level Session of Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Summit and participate in an Intergenerational Dialogue for Youth.
 
President Buhari is also expected to hold bilateral talks with some leaders from the Commonwealth countries.
 
Ahead of the biennial meeting, which was due to take place in June 2020 but was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Buhari, in an article published in The Telegraph, London, stressed that the Commonwealth can become a real global power with improved collaborations on trade and security, lending weight to each other in international bodies.
 
The President will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami.
 
Others in the President’s entourage are the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd) Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and the Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NidCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
 
The President will return to the country on Sunday, June 26, 2022.

 

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