President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, at the State House, Abuja.
Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Mohammed said she used the opportunity of the meeting to express appreciation of the UN to President Buhari for his leadership role not only in Nigeria but in the West African sub-region.
She said that the meeting also deliberated on gender-based violence in Nigeria with particular reference to recent killing of Kogi Women leader after the conduct of the state governorship election.
“We’ve paid a courtesy call, we expressed appreciation of the Secretary-General for the present leadership not just in the country but within the region with the number of challenges that we have given the conflict and the climate change and some of the political issues around elections within the region.
“We also touched on the many vast issues of the humanitarian crisis that we have, this, of course, has stretched across from the North East to the North West of Nigeria, the support that we are giving.
“We also spoke about the 16 days of activation on gender-based violence which started on Monday,’’ she said.
She commended the president for condemning the recent loss of life of a woman in politics in Kogi State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Achejuh Abuh, the Women Leader of Wada Aro Campaign Council, Ochadamu ward, was, on Nov. 18, burnt alive in her home by suspected political thugs.
“Mine was to commend him for condemning the death of the politician in Kogi state, we did not go into a discussion around it but the fact that he has shown zero tolerance for it and insisted on an investigation.
“For us, it’s important, especially as we start this week on gender-based violence in all its ramifications,’’ the UN deputy secretary-general added.
Asked how President Buhari felt about her visit to the presidential villa, she said, “other than welcoming his former minister, he expressed appreciation for the support of the United Nations.”
NAN recalls that prior to her appointment as UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed was the Minister of Environment during the first four-year tenure of President Buhari. (NAN)