President Muhammadu Buhari has urged African leaders to ensure socio-political stability in their countries to help achieve peace and speedy regional and sub-regional integration in Africa.
Buhari stated this during a joint press briefing with the visiting Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, after a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He pointed out that the situation in the ECOWAS sub-region was relatively stable but added that there is need to continue to persuade the leaders to pay more attention to security and development.
He said: “The situation in our sub-region is relatively stable but there is the need for us to continue to persuade our colleagues to show appreciation on the efforts the sub-region is doing to make sure that we pay more attention to security and development.
“I have appreciated very much your efforts and I also congratulate you on your successes. I believe you may even go outside the region, to African Union, so that before the AU meeting we try and persuade the leadership of those countries in our sub-region to show more patience and accommodation with politics of their countries,” he added.
Buhari noted that the forthcoming third Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security would discuss some political developments in two countries of the sub-region.
He also praised the Liberian leader for handling the affairs of the ECOWAS diligently and for her efforts in stabilizing Liberia.
“I have to very sincerely congratulate you with the way you have stabilised your country and with the small contributions Nigeria was able to make throughout those difficult times that you went through,” the Nigerian leader stated.
The Liberian leader, who is also the Chairperson of the Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS nations, said she was in Nigeria to be updated on the focus and challenges of the work of the ECOWAS Commission.
According to her, the visit is also meant enable her meet with the entities of ECOWAS, the Commission, the Parliament and the Courts in preparation for the forthcoming Summit of the Authority of the ECOWAS, slated for Abuja on Dec. 17.
“I’m glad once again to be back in Abuja. I’m using the opportunity of this visit to be updated on the focus and challenges of the work of the ECOWAS Commission, to meet with the entities of ECOWAS, the Commission, the Parliament and the Courts in preparation for the reports I will present at the Summit of the Authority, which will be held here in Abuja, on Dec. 17,” President Sirleaf said.
“But, I’m so grateful that while here, I reached out to the President and asked him for the opportunity to call on him to be able to brief him on some of the findings I have had in my two days of consultation with the commission.
“I also exchange with him some of the developments in our sub-region, political development; economic development, and to get his wise counsel on how we can ensure that we monitor the situation in all the West African countries so as to maintain peace and stability in all of our countries,” she stated.