President Muhammadu Buhari has prioritised the issue of insecurity in his first weeks as president, visiting Niger and Chad last week and focusing on insecurity and Boko Haram during his discussion with G7 leaders in Germany this week.
On Thursday, the president will host a meeting of the Heads of states and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
Those who will attend the meeting which will hold at the presidential lounge of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport are Paul Biya of Cameroon, Mohammadou Issoufou of Niger, Idriss Deby of Chad and the President of Benin Republic, Boni Yayi. (Benin Republic is, however, not a member of the commission.)
To prepare and harmonise Nigeria’s position for the meeting, Buhari yesterday held a closed door meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh and the Chief of Naval Staff, Usman Jubrin, at Defence House.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mr Ismali Aliyu, said they came to brief the president on preparations for a scheduled meeting of Heads of State and Presidents today in Abuja to discuss on the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
The defence chiefs and Ministers of Defence of the member countries of the commission had earlier met this week preparing the ground for today’s meeting of presidents.
According to him, “the meeting held between the Chiefs of Defence Staff of the Lake Chad Basin and Ministers of Defence culminated in the presidents’ meeting tomorrow (today).
“We discussed the issue of the operationalization of the Multi National Joint Task Force and the siting of its headquarters in N’Djamena and the contribution from various states. The objective was to fight the insurgency within that region for the purpose of peace, security and prosperity. “
