Buhari Asks African Parliaments To Develop Strategies Against Terrorism, Other Crimes

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on African Parliaments to
come up with strategies that will help in tackling the threat of
terrorism and armed banditry among other organised crimes in the
continent.

He made the call on Thursday while addressing the 73rd Session
of the Executive Committee and the 41st Conference of Speakers of
the African Parliamentary Union (APU) in Abuja.

“While I commend the actions of African governments in dealing
with these evil groups, it is my strong belief that the APU will
develop strategies to assist governments in confronting this
menace,” the President said.

He also pledged, “as Chairperson of the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS), I will be more than willing to fast
track your resolutions for deliberation and adoption at the ECOWAS
sub-region and the much larger African Union (AU).”

President Buhari noted that since its inception, the APU has
continued to champion the objective of bringing African parliaments
together to join the challenge of finding solutions to the many
problems confronting the continent.

He stressed further that the union has helped to develop
parliamentary practice in the continent towards the promotion of
democracy, human rights, freedoms and the realisation of the
objectives of the African Union to achieve durable peace.

The President, however, decried that terrorism and armed
banditry among other crimes have continued to be a security
challenge for member states of the AU.

According to him, the proliferation of arms aided by abuse of
the ease of movement of persons across freer borders has
contributed to acts of terrorism by groups like Al Shaabab, ISIS
and Boko Haram.

President Buhari, therefore, hinted at what the Nigerian
government has done to reverse the terror trend and halt the
advancement of Boko Haram.

“We have in collaboration with our neighbours strengthened our
armed forces to effectively confront terror groups and have also
initiated programmes to address widespread poverty, which has been
identified as a significant factor fueling unrest and boosting
terror recruitments,” he revealed.

In spite of this progress, the President said his administration
was mindful of the remaining challenge of “armed invaders who
ransack villages and small farming communities and commit terrible
acts including the cold-blooded murder of women and children.”

“We are also making progress in addressing this challenge,” he
told the conference.

President Buhari was delighted that the promotion of girls’
education as a way to address early marriages would be the focus of
the APU Committee of women parliamentarians.

He said this was another subject which required close attention
and assured the committee of the support and cooperation of the
Nigerian government.

“A few months back, four girls from a high school in Anambra
State, in South East of Nigeria, won the first prize for innovation
at an international competition held in the United States of
America.

“The success of these girls, some as young as 14, is a success
for Africa as a whole, but more importantly, it is a demonstration
of what can happen when the girl child is given the opportunity,”
President Buhari said.

He stressed that education should not be seen as not just a
government programme but as a human right and a social
imperative.

The President believes educating girls increases the probability
of having more women innovators, entrepreneurs and Chief Executive
Officers.

He then thanked the APU for the decision to hold this year’s
conference in Nigeria.

According to him, the decision is a demonstration of the
importance of the country in achieving and sustaining the lofty
ideals and objectives of the APU.