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Worsening Insecurity, Attack On His Convoy, Prison, Absent Minded Nigeria President Jets Out Again

A DAY after Nigeria witnessed some of the most daring attacks by gunmen, President Muhammadu Buhari is set to travel out of the country.

Terrorists on Tuesday attacked presidential team in Katsina, the ambush of security officials in the same state, the attack on a major prison in Abuja and another killing of a police officer and kidnap of an expatriate in Kwara.

While Nigerians are still lamenting the daring nature of the attacks, a presidential aide announced that Mr Buhari will travel to Dakar today.

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“President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Wednesday, July 6, to participate in the International Development Association (IDA) for Africa Summit in Dakar, Senegal,” the president’s office said in a Wednesday statement.

Many Nigerians have also condemned the frequent trips by the president while the nation suffers deteriorating security and economic situation.

However, Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina, defended the frequent foreign trips including the latest Senegal visit.

“Yes, the president should go,” Mr Adesina told State House journalists Wednesday. “Because there’s an international conference meant for heads of states and presidents, he should attend. You should never give in to terrorists. The moment theories begin to stop you from doing things, then we might as well throw up our hands in surrender. The President should go ahead. Yes, it’s an international obligation.”

Frequent Foreign Trips

Daily Trust had reported that in 2022 alone, President Buhari embarked on at least 10 foreign trips, with the latest being a state visit to Portugal, last week.

Before this, President Buhari had attended the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held from June 20 to 26, 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.

Also, on June 4, the president attended an Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government on the political situation in Mali and other parts of the sub-region in Accra, Ghana, amongst others.

Read below, the full statement by Mr Buhari’s office on his latest trip.

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Wednesday, July 6, to participate in the International Development Association (IDA) for Africa Summit in Dakar, Senegal

“An institution of the World Bank Group, IDA is deepening its support to drive a resilient recovery for countries hit by the global crises of climate and COVID -19, growing levels of insecurity and more recently, by the impact of the war in Ukraine through its historic $93 billion 20th replenishment cycle (IDA20) which goes into effect between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2025.

“At the High-Level event slated for Thursday, July 7 and hosted by President Macky Sall of the Republic of Senegal, President Buhari is expected to join other African leaders in an open Dialogue on Development Challenges and priorities as well as transformational initiatives that will lead to an outcome document, the Dakar Declaration.

“This commitment is expected to chart the way forward for the transformation of the economies of these nations in partnership with the World Bank/IDA.

Topics slated for discussion include: Financing for Recovery and Economic Transformation in Africa; Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security; Human Capital; Digital and Technological Innovation; and Energy Transition and Climate Change.

The President will be accompanied on the trip by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; as well as Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo.

Others on the entourage are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; Director-General, Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha; and the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Olukayode Pitan.

President Buhari is expected back in the country at the end of the Summit on Thursday, July 7.

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