Date: 2015-08-24

*To mark UN building bombing, abducted girls

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived Abuja sunday to commemorate the Boko Haram bombing of his organisation's headquarters and focus new attention on the 219 schoolgirls held by the extremist group.

He was received on arrival by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some UN officials led by Prof Tunde Osotimehin, Director UNFPA.

Speaking after his arrival, the UN secretary general said Nigeria was at a crucial moment in its development, adding however that the country possesses the wherewithal to overcome its challenges, in view of the fact that the challenges were being confronted frontally.

Ki-moon, who spoke when he met with the Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF) on the theme, "Pathways to a New Nigeria: Role of Sub-National Governments, stressed that the role of governors in the country was important, especially in making policies and implementing programmes for the people.

"This is a crucial moment for Nigeria. And you have to take crucial steps to move the country forward. The United Nations is ready to help you. We have to work together to move the country forward.

"You (the governors) understand the people's challenges and you have the power to help the people on education, power, development, institution building, security and others.

"Nigeria occupies a pivotal place in the comity of nations. This is time of hope when we have a lot of challenges. "I want to commend you for a successful election. Elections should serve as a rallying point for the people. But quite often, it serves as a means of destruction. Nigeria has done well," he said.

He expressed hope that the governors would use the sustainable development goals for the development of their states. The NGF Chairman, Zamfara State Governor, Alh. Abdul-Aziz Abubakar Yari, in his welcome remarks, urged Ki-Moon to consider funding the Sustainable Development Goals programme.

According to him, the Sustainable Development Goals initiative is the successor programme to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which will draw to a close this year.

"As you may be aware, most states now anchor their development projects along the lines of the MDGs which has been a game changer in the successful efforts to bring solutions to bear on the main problems that bedevil developing nations. "As the MDGs programme draws to a close this year, let me assure you of the eagerness to again key into the successor programme, the Sustainable Development Goals.

"We are ready to embrace this programme with the same zeal as soon as it is unveiled. In view of this, we urging the secretary general to consider funding the programme alongside the dissemination of the human development reports," Yari said.

He reassured Ki-Moon of the collective resolve of the governors to eradicate polio from the country, even though Nigeria has made giant strides in its eradication.

He said governors as well as other stakeholders were working hard through campaigns, vaccinations and deployment of critical resources to ensure that by 2017 Nigeria is certified polio-free.

Governors present at the event held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel were the Governors Nasir el-rufai (Kaduna), Adam Oshiomhole (Edo), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Ibikunle Amosu (Ogun), Simeon Lalong (Plateau), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), David Umahi (Enugu), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Abdulahi Ganduje (Kano), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Jibrilla Mohammed Bindow (Adamawa), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Mohammed Abubakar (Jigawa), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Idris Wada (Kogi), and the former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari will at noon today receive the Ki-Moon at the Presidential Villa. Buhari and Ki-moon will also address a joint press conference to round up the visit after which a dinner will be held in his honour at the New Banquet Hall at 7 pm.

According to the Associated Press (AP), Ban is scheduled to meet with the president today, amid plans to launch a long-delayed regional offensive against Boko Haram.

A UN statement sunday said the leaders will discuss ways to counter violent extremism as well as human rights and climate change. Ban also will meet the Bring Back Our Girls group which has demanded government action to free 219 abducted schoolgirls held for nearly 500 days.

He will lay a wreath to mark the anniversary of the August 26, 2011 suicide car bombing that killed 21 people at the UN Nigeria headquarters in Abuja.