Members of The G7 group of
industrialized nations gave reasons,
yesterday, why they have resolved to support
President Muhammadu Buhari.
The G7 nations comprising the United States,
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and
the United Kingdom said they are backing
Buhari because they, among other reasons,
acknowledged “the way and manner of his
emergence and the tremendous challenges
faced by the government he leads, not of his
making, especially in its efforts to combat
the Boko Haram.”
A statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special
Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the
President, said at the end of President
Buhari’s presentation on Monday, “the G7
leaders said to him that they recognized the
President’s massive amount of confidence
and expectations behind his government.
“They acknowledged him as having emerged
from an election adjudged to be the freest in
the country’s electoral history, but regretted
the severe handicaps his new government
has to face from the outset.”
According to the statement, “they told
President Buhari that they took cognizance of
the fact of the several handicaps, including
the lack of resources, leaving him with a
government over-stretched in capacity, itself
riddled with mismanagement. They noted
that the country’s army lacked training and
equipment with little or no will to engage.
“In recognition of the fact that the security
threat of the Boko Haram had gone beyond
Nigeria, equally affecting other countries in
the region, the G7 conceded that no one
country can tackle it alone.
Warm sentiments towards Buhari
“They expressed warm sentiments towards
the Nigerian leader and praised him for
reaching out to the country’s neighbours and
the group of industrialized nations within a
week of his takeover of government.
“In view of the seriousness he has shown in
tacking this problem, the group pledged that
they would ‘engage, cooperate and
collaborate’ with President Buhari’s
government in tackling the serious problems
that Nigeria faces.
“They left it to President Buhari to come up
with the specifics on his requirements,
assuring that they would study the
requirements either individually or
collectively and offer help. They asked to
know the nature and the scale of the
problems in order to know the nature and the
scale of the assistance they will provide.
Suffice it to say that they assured President
Buhari that ‘Nigeria will find a partner in the
G7.'”
President Buhari, who had the privilege of
being the first to address the G7 among the
invited presidents and prime ministers was
warmly received at the summit. He returned
to Nigeria yesterday.
