The African Union Development Agency/New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA/NEPAD), , says President Muhammadu Buhari is working towards ensuring that Nigeria is free from violence witnessing across the country.
The National Coordinator AUDA/NEPAD, Ms Gloria Akobundu, said this on Wednesday in Abuja, when she received a delegation from West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA).
While commending WAANSA’s mission on the vision of ensuring the eradication of small arms in Nigeria, Akobundu said their mission was in line with the agency’s vision and also, that of the present administration.
“I want to thank you and appreciate your organisation for the laudable initiative.
“This is the prerequisite or the yardstick of maintaining peace and security and development your organisation is clamouring for.
“Without peace and security you and I wouldn’t do anything, if you like let’s mobilize the whole resources in the world, but this is the real subject and it should be treated with every seriousness, consciousness and pro-activeness,” she said.
According to her, this vision is a great vision, is a vision of his Excellency President Muhammad Buhari to give peace and security to the people of Nigeria.
While assuring the WAANSA delegation of the agency’s partnership, she said that the institution had put together strategies to achieve such vision.
In addition, AUDA/NEPAD was ready to welcome every meaningful idea and organisation that would partner with them to work as a team to deliver their mandates.
Akobundu informed the WAANSA team that NEPAD had been reformed and repositioned to deliver its mandates effectively and efficiently, even to work towards eradication of small arms in Nigeria.
“We remember the AU 2018 mandate was “Silencing the guns”, and it might interest you that in this country Nigeria, NEPAD is the agency to first launch that project.
“In 2019, we launched “silencing the guns” that we did an aggressive awareness programme across the six geopolitical zones of this country, and our slogan is, ” Say no to violence”.
“We have had a series of summits with security agencies, with civil societies, private sectors, public sectors, traditional rulers and all interesting groups including the anti-corruption agencies for this same course,” she explained.
Speaking earlier, Mr Temitope Lamidi, President WAANSA, said their mission was to seek partnership with the agency in their efforts to eradicate small arms in Nigeria.
Represented by Mr Igwe Martin, Programme Coordinator WAANSA, Temitope explained that his organisation was working towards actualising peace and a safe environment in Nigeria. (NAN)
