Buhari rallies support for MNJTF, Boko Haram victims' countries

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), develop­ment partners and international community to provide necessary assistance for security personnel, victims and countries affected by Boko Haram insurgence.

This was contained in a state­ment by the spokesperson, Ni­gerian Mission to UN, Mr Akin­remi Bolaji, and made available to The Authority .

The statement explained that the president said this in his speech at the 17th Summit of NAM at the Island of Margarita, Bolivarian Republic of Venezu­ela.

NAM is a group of states which are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. As of 2012, the movement has 120 members.

Buhari stressed the need to provide assistance to member countries that had borne the brunt of Boko Haram terrorism including relief to the Internally Displaced Persons and refugees.

The president explained that the twin scourge of terrorism and violent extremism had con­tinued to wreak havoc in Nige­ria and countries around Lake Chad Basin.

According to him, thousands of nationals have been killed and maimed in addition to the mil-lions displaced from their homes.

He however stressed that the capacity of Boko Haram had been severely degraded with huge sacrifices of the Nigerian Armed Forces and those of Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

While noting that the situa­tion in some other parts of the world such as Libya, Iraq and Syria had also continued to be a major concern, Buhari urged support for the peace process in those coun-tries.

``It is essential that the Non-Aligned Movement finds a role for itself in addressing these chal-lenges, so as to retain its relevance in the world of today and in the future.

``In addressing the challenge of resource mobilization and flows for sustainable develop­ment of our countries.

``Our collective solidarity is required now more than ever before, to uphold the Bandung Princi-ples.

``I need not stress that co­operation among nations is an essential condition for global peace, secu-rity and a just world economic order that is anchored on democratic val­ues.

Buhari said that there was the need to associate fully with the statement by the Prime Minis­ter of the Kingdom of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha on behalf of Group 77 and China.