UN Security Council needs Nigeria’s experience – Onwuliri

What does Nigeria stand to gain from the Afro-Arab summit?The summit is another multi-lateral platform of engagement for Africans and the rest of the world especially the Arab world. Many years back they decided to cooperate as a single entity to deepen their relations and mutually benefit from what they have to offer. They have […]

What does Nigeria stand to gain from the Afro-Arab summit?
The summit is another multi-lateral platform of engagement for Africans and the rest of the world especially the Arab world. Many years back they decided to cooperate as a single entity to deepen their relations and mutually benefit from what they have to offer. They have two previous summits and this is the third. At the last meeting in Libya, they mapped out a plan of action in some key areas. They are finance, trade, agriculture and food security among others. With the wealth in this part of the world, they also felt the need to benefit from what Africa has to offer and also to give aid in some of the challenges of the continent. They planned to establish a partnership fund to address some of the infrastructural problems and other challenges in member states especially in Africa. We believe Nigeria will benefit from. For instance, there is the Kuwaiti Fund and it has given grants and soft loans to many African countries, although Nigeria has not benefitted yet. Vice president, Arch Namadi Sambo held a meeting with the Director General of Kuwaiti Fund during the summit and they promised to support Nigeria in different aspects of our development in pursuance of transformation agenda.
Apart from the $2 billion for both soft loans and investments in Africa announced by the Amir of Kuwait, was there any specific fund earmarked for Nigeria either during your meetings with their officials or the Vice President?
No. There cannot be a fund for Nigeria alone. We are not a beggar nation. The issue is not even about whether we are a beggar nation or not, but there are many countries that are involved in this partnership, so if they target one country what would happen to the others?  The important thing is that there would be things African countries would request and then you get. It becomes easier if we are part of the ownership of whatever fund that is coming to Africa.
After the ministerial meeting, we have person to person contacts. I spoke with the regional manager in charge of West Africa to get additional information on what we can do; but the Vice President put forward areas of power, additional support for the Almajiri education, agriculture and he was emphatic in the area of power and they are willing to come in. I believe they will support us. Beyond that, at the level of Afro-Arab partnership itself, Nigeria proposed improved contact through movement in terms of less cumbersome visa policy requirements and visa free entries for holders of official and diplomatic passports. We are not expecting that it would be granted immediately but we have flown the kite. Before now it has always been grants but we believed that if the private sectors of both sides come in officially, a little lot would be achieved. So there is always a gain from every group we belong to. It becomes easier to achieve anything in the UN especially with the support from groups one belongs to and you would be seen as a formidable force.
Away from the summit, do you see Nigeria getting a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council in the future?   
Yes, I believe we should get the permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council because we have all the credentials which we have built it through the years. This last election was the fifth time we will be getting the seat. We just left the Security Council two years ago and it is not normal that you leave and be reelected. It is a major show and expression of confidence from Africa and the global community. It means that they are ready to engage with us to deal with issues on the continent.
At the Security Council, African issues constitutes over seventy percent of what they have on their table and I am sure they need a strong force to help them deal with those issues and Nigeria with our experience from peace keeping since the 1960s to all interventions we have been involved in the continent, such as reversing of attacks or threat on democracy and to help restore security in different areas, good governance and the rest of them. I believe global community would understand that we have the experience to deal with these issues and that is why we are there. Before now our Security Council seat has been a ten year circle.
Don’t you think Nigeria’s internal insecurity challenges may be a block in getting the permanent seat?
Insecurity is everywhere in the world and not peculiar to Nigerian. I am not saying is good, the most important thing is that we have a way to deal with it and we are doing that. We are also engaging with the international community on the issue. Terrorism is not domicile in one country, it has gone international and that is why the international community is dealing with it as well.
What is the implication of US designating of Boko Haram as a terrorist group on Nigeria?
It is the US prerogative to do so because they have three criteria for such declaration which are: The organisation must have international linkage, must be a threat to US citizens and threat to the US. If any organisation decides to fit into their criteria, they should be designated and there is nothing we can do about it. They did that according to their laws. The Federal Government said they should leave it and that Nigeria will deal with the situation locally but since it has been established that they have gone international, it is also beyond us and we can begin to deal with our local issues.
Would the designation of Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation have any negative implication on our relationship with the US?
It could have negative consequences on the treatment of Nigerians but it won’t affect our bilateral relations. So a lot of the things we do to ourselves have far reaching implications on us. It is really unfortunate and that is why it is not good to indulge in those things because you would not know the extent it will affect us.