The Presidency has appealed to the media to focus on core issues as President Muhammadu Buhari heads to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Sunday.
The Presidency had during the week issued a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, appealing to media houses in the country to focus on the activities of the nation’s leader and not that of secessionists who are protesting at the venue of the UNGA.
The statement read:
“For Nigerian diaspora groups to use the world’s largest platform – the United Nations General Assembly – to garner attention to their causes is not unexpected.
“It was, however shocking, to see “Yoruba Nation” advocates yesterday unequivocally throw their lot in with Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).”
Shehu in the statement reminded Nigerians associating with IPOB to know that the group is a terrorist organization.
“IPOB is a designated terrorist organisation. It has now publicly revealed a 50,000 strong paramilitary organisation.
“It regularly murders security services and innocent civilians, with a significant uptick of violent attacks this year. And it is currently attempting to hold Nigerian states hostage with orders to stay at home under threat of terror.
“Without doubt, Nigerians and the entire world will judge Yoruba Nation by the company it keeps.
“No one can take seriously this organisation if it continues its IPOB association. When their allies systematically trample human rights, it raises sober questions about their claims to uphold the values of the UN.
“The cooperation is a worrying development, once parsed with Yoruba Nation’s increasingly violent rallies in Nigeria.
“Actions and associations speak louder than words. Yoruba Nation’s talk of human rights promotion must therefore be ignored,” the statement noted.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian government to continue its work at the UN, in order to fight against corruption and illicit financial flows, and international cooperation.
“If we want to see stolen funds returned to their rightful home in Nigeria, the government must continue to campaign for and coordinate global action on asset recovery.
“The government will remain the leading regional actor in the fight against global terror – particularly against threats emanating from the Sahel. Through the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps programme, the country also shares technical expertise with countries from the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific.”
The statement also highlighted some of the efforts put in place by the government to ensure sustainable development.
“At the same time, the administration is implementing a programme of environmental sustainability to combat developments which destroys Nigerian communities in vulnerable regions.
“Only through the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development can we secure a prosperous future for Nigeria.
“As the largest country in Africa, the government takes seriously its leadership role and will continue to strive for continental unity, cooperation, and shared prosperity.”
The Presidency’s statement concluded that the media should work with the government to focus attention on the core issues the President, the leader of the country has on his Programme.
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