President Bola Tinubu has said that the Niger military junta must make “positive adjustments” before the socioeconomic sanctions against Niger Republic can be eased.
Tinubu, the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), stated that all diplomatic options with the coup leaders will be exhausted before resorting to military intervention.
He stressed that any violent overthrow of a democratic government was “wholly unacceptable.”
The ECOWAS chair stated this when he received the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NCIA), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the State House on Thursday, according to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
Tinubu stated that the option of kinetic action in Niger Republic had not been ruled out.
“I must thank you for your several visits to Niger Republic, Your Eminence, but you will still have to go back. My fear has been confirmed in Gabon that copy cats will start doing the same thing until it is stopped. We are neighbours with Niger Republic, and what has joined Nigerians together with their great people cannot be broken.
“Nobody is interested in a war. We have seen the devastation in Ukraine and Sudan. But, if we don’t wield the big stick, we will all suffer the consequences together,” the President warned.”
President Tinubu remarked that in 1998, Nigeria, led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, conducted a nine-month transition program that was extraordinarily successful, ushering the country into a new age of democratic governance.
If the country’s military leadership were honest, the President saw no reason why this could not be reproduced in Niger.
“Your Eminence, please don’t get tired. You will still go back there. The soldiers’ action is unacceptable. The earlier they make positive adjustments, the quicker we will dial back the sanctions to alleviate the sufferings we are seeing in Niger,” the President affirmed.
Regarding the hardships experienced by many Nigerians following the elimination of fuel subsidies, the President stated that the ongoing reforms will liberate and reposition the economy, benefiting the majority of the population in terms of opportunities, infrastructure, healthcare, and education.
“Nigeria is headed for a promise. Our diversity will turn into prosperity, not adversity. We will build a country that our children will be proud of,” the President assured Nigerians.
The President informed the delegation that the Federal Government had begun discussions with state governments to provide land for animal husbandry and agro-allied production and processing facilities for mass export, job creation, and revenue generation.
“If Nigeria is still looking for vaccines for basic health issues; if infant and maternal mortality is rampant, then we should examine ourselves. I will commit to consulting with other leaders, like the NSCIA, and we will meet the needs of our people,” he said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima stated at the conference that the President had budgeted N50 billion to help the continued rebuilding of lives and property in the North West and North East, as well as a new emphasis on dialogue to address security concerns.
The Sultan of Sokoto vowed “one hundred percent loyalty” to the President, stating that a leader can only be appointed by God’s will, not man’s.
His Eminence told President Tinubu that the NSCIA will be available to advise and support him in realizing his vision for the country, adding that “God will hold all leaders to account in justice and fairness.”
He advised that the distribution of palliatives across the country be checked and supplemented in areas where it falls short of reaching some of the people who are still in desperate need.
“I honestly believe we will come out of the challenges stronger,” the Sultan of Sokoto concluded.
