By Emmanuel Nduka
For an umpteenth time, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari will stop over in London to spend two weeks with his doctors.
The recent medical tourism by the President comes even as Nigerians are battling with a fuel scarcity problem that has lingered for over three weeks and has caused untold hardship, while many other Nigerians, especially students, are trapped in Ukraine in the heat of the Russian invasion.
There is also a long-standing battle between University lecturers, students and the Federal Government over the unending spate of strikes occasioned by the Government’s failure keep to agreements it had with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari before his London trip, is first expected to join President Uhuru Kenyatta in Kenya to participate in the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP@50), scheduled for March 3 – 4 in Nairobi.
The theme of the Special Session is “Strengthening UNEP For The Implementation Of The Environmental Dimension Of The 2030 Agenda For Sustainable Development”.
According to the organisers of the event, “for 50 years, UNEP has coordinated a worldwide effort with Member States to address the world’s biggest environmental challenges. Member States are vital partners in formulating UNEP’s policy, implementing UNEP’s programme and championing solutions to our shared environmental challenges.
“UNEP@50 is a time to reflect on the past and envision the future. It provides an opportunity to reinvigorate international cooperation and spur collective action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. No country or continent can solve these global crises alone. But each nation has a crucial role to play in protecting our people and planet”.
At the event, President Buhari is expected to deliver the National Statement of the country and participate in High Level Dialogue Sessions on the Environment.
Accompanying Buhari, are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of State for the Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, National Security Adviser, Maj.Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd), Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, and the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
