Nordic countries call for expansion of UNSC to accommodate African countries
The Federal Government may have tabled the activities of Mr. Simon Ekpa, the Nigerian-Finnish leader of Biafra Autopilots, with the Finnish Government at a meeting held today (Tuesday, August 13), in Abuja.
The development came against the backdrop of the Nordic countries asking the United Nations to address Africa’s underrepresentation in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), during the visit of ministers of five Nordic countries – Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland – to Abuja.
Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish of Igbo origin has been reported to be behind the sit-at-home controversy and the attendant violence that has trailed it in the South East .
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the Nordic ministers in Abuja, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, while responding to a question as to whether the government raised the issue of Ekpa with the Finnish Government, said: “That is a no-brainer. You know there is no way Nigeria is going to engage with Finland without raising the issue of Simon Ekpa and raising it vociferously. So, take that as having been done.”
However, Tuggar did not disclose the details of the meeting with the Finnish delegation, particularly if the government requested for Ekpa’s extradition to the country.
Speaking earlier, Tuggar said the discussions were an engagement with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Sweden, Finland, Island, Denmark, with Norway represented.
He stated that Nigeria has had a long relationship with the Nordic countries, dating back to Nigeria’s independence.
“As a matter of fact, Finland, I believe, was the first country to recognize Nigeria as a republic,” Tuggar also said.
Tuggar further said the Nordic countries have been very supportive in terms of the fight against terrorism, de-radicalization, resettlement and getting people to return to their lives in the Lake Chad region.
The immediate past Nigerian Ambassador to Germany added that the Nordic countries were strong trade partners to Nigeria and hoped to improve the trade.
He explained that the initiatives of the current administration, particularly the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, the Nordic countries were the sort of partners that the government needed because of their advancement.
Tuggar assured the visiting ministers that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is the custodian of the nation’s foreign policy, will partner with the Nordic countries, including the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Technical Aid Corps.
On his part, the Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström, said the engagement of Nordic countries with Africa has been guided by solidarity and long-term equal partnerships.
He explained that the diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the Nordic countries dated back to more than 60 years of a century.
Billström added that Nigeria is one of the Nordic countries’ largest trading partners on the African continent.
While saying that Nigeria is a prominent actor on the regional and global stage, Billström stated that Nigeria is playing an important role in maintaining peace and furthering international cooperation.
“We highly appreciate Nigeria’s Presidency’s efforts to promote stability and democracy within ECOWAS and supporting ongoing efforts to further enhance cooperation between the United Nations and regional organisations,” Billström said.
Billström further said the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 was a welcome step in that direction, even as he said at the same time, it was important to recognise and address Africa’s underrepresentation in the United Nations Security Council.
“And to this end, the Nordic supports the extension and expansion of the council in both the permanent and two-year term elected categories,” Billström further said.
He also said that just like Nigeria, the five Nordic countries were also firmly committed to standing up for the international role of space order, democracy and human rights.
Courtesy, The Sun
