… Minister prays G/Bisau’s parliament is uses as safety valve
By Joy Odor
The Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA ), Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has assured Guinea Bisau of Nigeria’s support to help keep the country stable, in harmony and ensuring its parliament is used as a safety valve.
The Minister who stated this in his speech while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Thursday on the outcome of his ECOWAS Diplomacy Shuttle to those countries informed that at the moment there is a bit of challenge in the Guinea Bisau parliament and assured them that Nigeria is always there to provide its mediation platform to resolve any issue.
Amb Tuggar also discussed several opportunities that exist from fishery to agricultural produce with Guinea Bisau, saying Nigeria is looking at investment in fibre optics and want Nigeria banks to venture in their country.
According to him, the Ministry is going to make the requisite recommendations to federal government agencies that handle such issues.
“As a matter of fact, there are Nigerian Troops in Guinea Bisau, they’ve been there for quite some time now, helping to keep the country stable and we emphasized the need for harmony, for work towards more stability and ensuring a parliament is used as a safety valve.
“We also discussed several issues, opportunities that exist, Nigerian businesses they are looking to invest in in Togo and vice versa. Togo is also rich in mineral resources, particularly phosphate which is used in making fertilizer. And you know that we have so many fertilizer blending plants in Nigeria” he said.
Speaking on Gambia tour, Amb Tuggar informed that the Vice President and the Foreign Minister of Gambia reminded the importance of Nigeria to Gambia, saying if not for the role that Nigeria played, Gambia would today not have a judiciary.
He maintained continued support to them through the ministry and its agency, the Technical Aid Corp in providing Nigerian professionals, particularly university lecturers that continue to help the education system.
“Gambia has a long relationship with Nigeria, as a matter of fact, the Vice President and the Foreign Minister both stated the importance of Nigeria to Gambia and reminded us that were it not for the role that Nigeria played, Gambia will today not have a judiciary and we’ll continue to support them through this ministry and its agency, the Technical Aid Corp in providing Nigerian professionals , particularly university lecturers that continue to help education system.
“So, Nigeria is very important to Gambia and by extension we also talked about several issues with regards to how to strengthen economic harmony and integration. Also, everywhere we went, we talked about security” he noted.
Commenting on Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria Nigeria MFA Minister opined that Nigeria is very keen on partnering with Cote D’Ivoire and the production of cashew as number one in the production of cashew in the world.
He disclosed that Cote D’Ivoire are ready to share their experience, their technology, and their expertise to improve Nigeria’s own output as well.
“Cote D’Ivoire is a large economy within the francophone countries and within ECOWAS and what of the key arteries for the economic success and advancement of ECOWAS is the Abidjan-Lagos trade and transport corridor and this exist not only terrestrially on land but also along the coast because there is a lot of trade and movements between that axis and you know between Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria, we’ve got Ghana, we’ve got Togo, we’ve got Republic of Benin.
“So these are some of the major infrastructure styles that we have and we saw for ourselves the work that Cote D’Ivoire is doing with regards to improvements to the road that goes all the way Abidjan to Lagos and there we discussed the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme, then also very keen on having Nigeria partner with Cote D’Ivoire and the production of cashew because they are number one in the production of cashew in the world. It’s a major coffee producer and several other agricultural products.
On the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seat, Amb Tuggar affirmed strong backing from several regional leaders for Nigeria’s bid to secure a permanent seat.
He said the United Nations Security Council remains important because 68 percent of decisions made in the Nigeria Nations Security Council have to do with Africa, yet there is not a single Africa country with a permanent seat there.
He said President Tinubu is pushing hard, fully committed which we are getting the right response because for the first time, the United States came out and issued a statement and said they are fully in support of permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council for Africa.
“But beyond that, we also had the opportunity to discuss and solicit support for Nigeria’s intention to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council because this is something that is hot topic at the moment and all the countries we visited said they are in the same region but they know there is no other country that is best suited, best qualified to speak on behalf of the continent more than Nigeria and they assured us of their support when the time comes.
“Some volunteered even to start doing that ground work right away and the second issue we discussed was the opening that exists in the International Court of Justice where Nigeria is presenting its candidate, Femi Elias and again all countries we visited, all assured us of their support for Nigeria candidates and this is just the first phase of this shuttle diplomacy within the West Africa region.
“The United Nations Security Council remains important because 68 percent of decisions made in the Nigeria Nations Security Council have to do with Africa, yet there is not a single Africa country with a permanent seat there.
“So, it’s important that Nigeria is in there, it’s important that Nigeria represents and speaks for not just ourselves, not just our region, not just the continent but for the world as a whole.
“This is what this administration is ready to do, President Tinubu is pushing hard, fully committed to it and we are getting the right response because for the first time, the United States came out and issued a statement and said they are fully in support of permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council for Africa.
“Already, we are hearing some other Africa countries and an African leader tayt was saying let it be one seat for the African Union and the other seat will be rotated.
“That is why we have to make sure and of course our neighbors, our friends in our region have always been supportive because they know that when it comes to representing other’s interest Nigeria is selfless.
“Nigeria is one of the few countries of its size that has never been threatening towards its neighbors.
“And we are the owners that had gone look out for others, not just in our neighborhood but on the continent Nigeria stood firm and was a leader in the fight against racist regime in our continent and the United Nations Security Council still remains important because this is where key decisions to do with health, to do with climate change, to do with population, to do with education all you have to do is just to go through list if the SDGs, you will see how important the United Nations Security Council is” he ended.
