..Urges Buhari to dialogue with militants
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright had assured Nigerians of United Kingdom’s commitment towards repatriating the country’s looted funds.
Arkwright, who spoke in an interview with reporters in Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday, said the British government would do everything to return stolen money domiciled in his country.
The diplomat was in the state on an official visit to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.
He observed that Buhari had had meaningful discussion with the UK prime minister, David Cameron, during a recent anti-corruption summit in London.
He said, “The United Kingdom is doing everything that we can to ensure that those funds are returned to Nigeria. We have no intention of keeping that money. We want it to go back to Nigeria.”
It would be recalled that Cameron recently came under attack for referring to Nigeria as one of the “fantastically corrupt” nations in the world.
President Buhari, who was asked whether to seek for apology from the prime ministerm said he was interested in British government returning looted funds domiciled in the country instead of apology.
On the Niger Delta agitation, the envoy urged the federal government to engage in dialogue with militants rather than resorting to military force.
According to him, a comprehensive approach is needed by the Buhari administration to address agitation in the area.
Arkwright explained that the comprehensive approach would include dialogue with restive youths and clean-up of communities damaged by oil exploration.
He noted that with adequate engagement of stakeholders, various investments and business interests in the affected areas would be well secured.
He added that the British government was already engaging in talks with the Nigerian authorities on the way out of the current agitation.
“One thing I’ve said in the past and we have spoken to the Nigerian government …Read More
Source:: Nigerian Pilot
