President Muham­madu Buhari has ordered the imme­diate release of $21 million of the country’s $100 million pledge to the Multi- National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), within one week to tackle the menace of Boko Haram insurgents.

President Buhari dropped the hint when he chaired the Peace and Security Commit­tee (PSC) of the 25th African Union Summit in Johannes­burg at the weekend.

The Extra-Ordinary Sum­mit of the Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin, had last week approved $30 million for the MNJTF.



The AU Summit was the president’s first continental assignment since taking of­fice and was accompanied by Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Samuel Ortom (Benue) and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ab­dulrahman Dambazau.

Buhari, who noted the havoc terrorism was causing across the globe, commended the cooperation of Nigeria’s neighbours – Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic in tackling the Boko Haram sect, stressing that to defeat terror, the spirit of brotherhood and partner­ship were the critical ingredi­ents needed.

He said: “The Boko Haram insurgency has extended its reach to Nigeria’s neighbours but it is not necessarily limited to these immediate countries as terrorism is a global phe­nomenon with linkages across the globe. Given this dimen­sion of global terror, it requires acting accordingly in brother­hood and partnership to fight our common goals against agents of evil.

“I am pleased to note that Cameroon, Chad, Niger are demonstrating this secret, they are fighting alongside Nigeria under the umbrella of Multina­tional Joint Task Force to de­feat Boko Haram insurgents.

“In this regard, the member countries of Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin, met recently where far-reaching decisions were taken to im­mediately put into operations the Multinational Joint Task Force. To this end, the sum­mit approved the immediate provision of $30 million for the Multinational Joint Task Force.

“Consequently, out of the pledge of $100 million, which Nigeria made to Multinational Joint Task Force, I have direct­ed that $21 million be released within the next one week.”

President Buhari called on members of the Peace and Security Committee to put into proper context during the course of deliberations, the situations in South Sudan and Burundi, where the citizens were suffering while the lead­ers were bickering.

He expressed dismay that the continent was inundated with conflicts of diverse forms particularly in countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, Libya, Central Africa Republic, South Sudan, and more re­cently in Burundi.

He said it was incumbent on political leaders to always place the interest of country above narrow and personal interest.

President Buhari recalled that the AU leaders had in 2013 during the 50th anniver­sary celebration of the union committed themselves to the objective of silencing the local guns in Africa by 2020.

“With just five years re­maining, the prospect of re­alizing this objective looks doubtful within individual countries and the continent as a whole. In particular, we are witnesses to the rampant destruction of homes, roads, communications lines, vital infrastructures and displace­ment of persons not to men­tion terrible loss of lives.