Buhari pledges to support peace process in South Sudan

Nigeria, Portugal to cooperate on ocean exploration, others
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday called for stronger commitment to the implementation of the peace process in South Sudan.The president said the Federal Government would remain steadfast in ensuring that the country regains its stability.

Receiving the letter of credence from the Ambassador of the Republic of South Sudan, Mr. Paul Malong Akaro, President Buhari said the delay in implementing the peace accord had affected the development of the country, despite the lofty potential for growth.

‘’I was a little disappointed at the subsequent developments in your country. I was hoping that we could move forward and develop your country’s great potential after the peace accord.

“The African Union would continue to hold your leaders to account in implementing the peace process. And the leaders should be able to accommodate one another for the good of your people,’’ he said.

He told the ambassador that the peace process would be most effective when accepted and implemented by the leaders from within the country, without external interventions. Akaro told the president that the government of national unity in South Sudan was still committed to the peace process in the country.

‘’We know that the only way to achieve stability and development is to implement the peace process. We are grateful for your support,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the governments of Nigeria and Portugal have agreed to cooperate for mutual growth in areas of ocean exploration, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, space science and agriculture.

This was the fallout of the just-concluded World Web Summit held in Lisbon, where the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu represented Buhari.

The event hosted 153,000 participants from all over the world.Addressing a world press conference in Abuja yesterday, the minister said it was important for Nigeria to invest in science and technology to help in diversifying the nation’s economy.

“Ireland used to be one of the poorest countries in Europe, but now it is one of the fastest-growing in the world because it embraced technology,” he said.

The minister said countries that had depended so much on crude oil were experiencing problems.He mentioned Venezuela and Saudi Arabia as oil- producing countries, which were also experiencing, challenges like Nigeria.

He said to diversify the Nigerian economy without investing in science and technology would make the country uncompetitive and the process, unsustainable.

Onu explained that in sectors such as agriculture, energy and solid minerals, a lot of investment would have to be made in science and technology.

The minister added that the Federal Government was working on a bill to institutionalise the National Research and Innovation Council under which a fund would be established to grow science and technology research works for commercialisation.