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Nigeria supports Ban Ki-Moon's second term bid
The Nigerian government has said it will support UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, for a second term.
The Nigeria Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr Bukun-Ölu Onemola, said this on Monday, while addressing reporters after a meeting between the secretary-general and African ambassadors to the UN.
Second term bid
Ban at the meeting, formally the ambassadors of his self-nomination for a second five-year term as head of the UN after his current term expires on December 31.
The UN chief told reporters that he had sent letters to the 15-member Security Council and 192-member General Assembly “Humbly’’ offering himself for consideration for a second five-year term.
Onemola said there was no “dissenting voice'' from all the 28 African representatives who spoke at the meeting.
He said the speakers expressed the view that Ban had placed African issues such as democracy, preventive diplomacy, counter-terrorism, health, MDGs, in the front burner.
“They eulogised his competence in driving issues of mutual importance to Africa,'' the envoy said.
The Nigerian representative also referred to the UN chief's recent trip to Africa, stressing that it demonstrated his commitment to the goals.
“In the case of Nigeria, we are encouraged by his work in the area of women, UN women and children, sustainable development and we hope that he continues giving his voice for Africa.
“The uncompleted African agenda should be implemented and completed under his watch, during his next term,'' he said.
The ambassador did not specify what the “uncompleted African agenda'' was but he stressed that the African bloc at the UN was strongly united in giving the former South Korean Foreign Minister another fresh term in office.
Critics
Critics of Ban, who took over the job from the Ghanaian Kofi Annan in 2007, accused him of being too timid to confront the world powers and worst human rights abusers.
Accomplishment
But in his briefing on Monday in New York, the UN chief took time to outline some of his accomplishments, including raising climate change to the top of the global agenda and responding quickly and effectively to humanitarian emergencies.
“We have saved many lives and sown the seeds of peace in Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Côte d’Ivoire.
“Amid the worst economic crisis in (generations), we kept the world’s focus firmly on the needs of the most vulnerable,’’ Ban said.
The Nigerian Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, Martin Uhomoibhi, who is in New York for the HIV meeting, said that Ban was “entitled to a second term.’’
“Everyone who has done a successful first term, as obviously as he has done, deserves a second-term,’’ he said.
UN diplomats believed the UN chief would use the occasion of the high level UN meeting on HIV and AIDS in New York this week to secure more support for his bid.
At least 30 Heads of State and Governments are expected in New York, including Jonathan and President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, which holds the Rotating President of the Security Council for the month of June.
NAN/Williams |
