Democracy has come to stay in Africa – Buhari

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed happiness over the sustenance of democratic rule on the African continent.

President Muhammadu Buhari

The President stated this, Monday, at the inauguration of President Alpha Conde’s of Guinea Conakry for the  second term in office.

Represented by his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, President Buhari said with the conduct of peaceful elections and transitions from one government to the other on the continent, it was clear that democracy has come of age in Africa.

“It shows that democracy has come of age in Africa. All over, you can see the demonstration of peaceful elections, peaceful transitions from one government to another,” the Vice President said in Conakry, Guinea at the inauguration of Prof. Alpha Conde’s second term in office.

Buhari, at the ceremony attended by several African presidents and leaders, also noted that peaceful elections were producing the right leaders in Africa.

This, he said “points to the fact that democratic elections in Africa could produce leadership in the right way,” stressing that “we are seeing that everywhere in Africa.”

Congratulating the people on the success of the election, he also described President Conde  as “a great leader, a person who has committed himself to developing his people; a leadership that focuses on development of infrastructure and human capital”.

Making his remarks earlier at the inauguration, President Alpha Conde expressed willingness for greater bilateral cooperation with Nigeria while seeking more support and assistance for the new administration.

Other dignitaries from Nigeria who also witnessed the event in Conakry with Vice President Osinbajo included national leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, former federal ministers, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Mr. Demola Seriki.

Osinbajo meets NAGGW,, Imperial College, London delegations

Meanwhile, the Vice President Osinbajo, yesterday, in Abuja stated that the problem of desertification in the north was “a very urgent, dangerous trend that we should attack with a lot of fervor.”

He spoke while receiving a delegation of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, NAGGW, led by its Director-General, Mr Goni Ahmed.

While commending the agency’s documentary presentation at the meeting, Osinbajo noted that “if we allow decertification, poverty would worsen, and we would have ourselves to blame. So, we have to take the matter very seriously.”

Also at another meeting, the Vice President received a delegation from the Partnership for Child Development, PCD, Imperial College, United Kingdom.

Led by its Executive Director, Dr. Lesley Drake, the group is providing support to the Federal Government’s Homegrown School Feeding Programme considered to be an important component of the Buhari presidency’s social investment plans in the forthcoming 2016 budget.