Mohammed-Bande

The Federal Government has dispatched a three-man team to witness the assumption of office of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande as the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The ceremony will take place at the UN New York headquarters, United States of America, on Sept. 16 and 17, ahead of the High-Level week of the UNGA when leaders of the nations of the world take turns to address the General Assembly.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.

He said: “A Nigerian government team to the historic event which will be led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama will include the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.’’

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN was elected President of the 74th session of the General Assembly by acclamation on Tuesday, June 4, to serve the one-year role with a strong mandate from his home government, that nominated him, endorsed by the Group of African States and adopted unanimously by the member-states.

The Muhammad-Bande presidency, coming 30 years after this country’s first, presents Nigeria and Africa a unique opportunity to ensure the implementation of the existing mandates for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The mandates particularly focus on peace and security, poverty eradication, zero hunger, quality education, climate action and inclusion.

“The General Assembly under Muhammad-Bande will also play a role in bridging the gaps and promoting collective action to address all international issues that deserve attention, in close coordination and collaboration with the Secretary-General, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council,’’ Shehu added.

The presidential aide, therefore, expressed the hope that the Muhammad-Bande presidency at the UNGA would ensure the actualisation of “the major priorities of Nigeria and the African continent’’.(