President Bola Tinubu has expressed the country’s appreciation to France for the return of 150 million dollars stolen from Nigeria by former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale,
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Friday in Abuja.
The President also acknowledged the signing of a 100 million
Euro agreement between Nigeria and France to support the i-DICE programme.
i-DICE is a Federal Government initiative to promote
investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Creative Arts
Industries.
The agreement was signed by Dr ‘Bosun Tijani, the Minister of
Communications, Innovation and Digital Technology, and the French Minister of
Europe and Foreign Affairs, at an event in Abuja.
Tinubu commended the strengthened bilateral relations between
Nigeria and France, noting that this progress followed his visit to Paris after
his inauguration.
“Thank you for the good news on the return of Abacha loot. We
appreciate your effective cooperation concerning the return of Nigeria’s money.
It will be judiciously applied in attaining our development objectives,” the
President told Catherine Colonna, the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of
France, who delivered the news.
The President, while emphasizing the need to reinforce
collaboration on both political and economic fronts, welcomed the growing
cooperation between the two countries in areas of shared interest, such as
climate change, economic integration, education and culture.
On the situation in Niger Republic, Tinubu, who is the
Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, said Nigeria
was monitoring the situation in the neighbouring country, and exploring all
diplomatic channels.
“Leadership is about responding to the needs of the people;
their cries, and their frustrations. Nigeria shares a border with Niger across
the expanse of seven Nigerian states, and most of these states are very
populated. Therefore, I need to guide ECOWAS carefully and steadily so that we
manage our anger carefully.
”We have a colleague and a democratically-elected leader,
President Bazoum, being used as a human shield. If we are not careful, he and
his family can be endangered.
”I am deploying all appropriate back-channel strategies to
avoid bloodshed in Niger Republic. We recognize the wishes of our people; they
do not want war, but that does not mean we can not take bold and decisive
action,” the President said.
Tinubu said Nigeria would continue to galvanize international
partners in the determined pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the situation in
Niger Republic.
The French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs conveyed
the goodwill of President Emmanuel Macron and expressed the readiness of France
to expand mutually beneficial collaboration with Nigeria across multiple
sectors.
She proceeded to extend a formal invitation to the President
to attend the forthcoming Paris Peace Forum.
Speaking on the Abacha loot, the French Presidential Envoy
said the repatriation followed the completion of legal processes.
“It was a long process, but we are glad that it was
concluded. Sometimes, justice may be slow, but this is a very good achievement,”
she said.
Colonna also commended President Tinubu’s leadership in ECOWAS, saying: “We support your efforts at ECOWAS. We are behind you because we believe that constitutional order is a treasure for all countries, and democracy must be a reality.”
Source: NAN
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