Insecurity: Buhari parley Ireland, Greece

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, in New York, said it was better for nation’s of the world to work together, especially with the renewed efforts by the country’s military to end the menace of insecurity in Nigeria.

Expressing optimism that insecurity would soon be a thing of the past, during an audience with the Prime Minister of Ireland, Michael Martin, President Buhari said: “In the past few months, with new platforms and boosted morale among the security forces, Nigeria was moving steadily in the direction of overcoming its insecurity.

“We will continue to partner with nations across the globe, especially in the use of technology so that Nigeria can learn something useful.”

He told the Prime Minister that with the experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was better for the world to work together rather than independently, for enhanced progress for humanity, hoping that the lessons that came with the pandemic would impact on other areas so that Nigerians and indeed, the world could have sustainable peace.

He assured his guest that Nigeria would continue to do its best to sustain the relationship with Ireland, if not improve on it, especially on the level of education, knowing that many Nigerians were doing well in Ireland, either schooling and working there.

Martin had told the Nigerian leader that Ireland was looking for ways to increase the level of relations with the country, even as Nigeria remained Ireland’s largest trading partner in Africa.

He expressed hope that his country would move into other areas, including the deployment of technology, to help Nigeria overcome its challenges in health and security. He added that Europe and the world now needed to look elsewhere for sources of energy as the war in Ukraine was highlighted.

In a separate meeting with the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the President sought a closer partnership with Nigeria in education, health, security as well as non-oil and gas sectors.

Stressing the importance of education and knowledge, Buhari said the time had come to look at practical ways of tackling health challenges that come without notice.

Mitsotakis said that Greece possessed the technological know-how in security, surveillance, as well as intelligence gathering and utilisation and was in a position to assist Nigeria” noting that, “though technology is not cheap, it is the best way to go as there is no alternative to peace.”

He added that he would put together a business delegation with experts in health, education as well as oil and gas to visit and interface with the private sector in Nigeria to look at parameters under which they could come in. The Prime Minister extended an invitation to President Buhari to visit Greece before the end of his tenure.