G-7 leaders promise to help Buhari succeed

The Group of Seven (G7) industrialised countries has resolved, during their last summit, to support President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed in his task of steering the ship of Nigeria. 

According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Monday, the decision followed the group’s acknowledgment of the manner in which Buhari emerged as Nigeria’s President. 

Members of the group were also said to have considered the tremendous challenges faced by the government Buhari leads, especially in its efforts to combat the Boko Haram.

Shehu said at the end of the presentation the President made on Monday, the G7 leaders said to him that they recognised the massive amount of confidence and expectations behind his government. 

The statement read, “They (the G-7 leaders) acknowledged him (Buhari) 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. 

“They told President Buhari that they took cognisance 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. 

“They expressed warm sentiments towards the Nigerian leader and praised him for reaching out to the country’s neighbours and the group of industrialised nations within a week of his takeover of government. 

“In view of the seriousness he has shown in tackling 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.”

Shehu said the G-7 leaders left it to the President to come up with the specifics on his requirements.

They assured him that they would study the requirements either individually or collectively and offer help. 

They also 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,” Shehu added.