"I appreciate Buhari’s work so far" - US President says
He said Nigerians "understand that only through a peaceful political process can change take place.”
President of the United States, Barack Obama, has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his "reputation for integrity and clear agenda," which he said will move Nigeria forward.
Obama stated this at the ongoing meeting Buhari at
the White House yesterday, July 20 where the two leaders are discussing,
mainly, how to end the Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed thousands
of lives in the northern part of Nigeria.
Obama said, "It
is a great pleasure to welcome President Buhari and his delegation here
in the White House for his first visit since the historic election that
took place.
"Nigeria is obviously one of
the most important countries in the world, one of the most important
countries in the African continent.
"Recently,
we saw an election in which a peaceful transition to a new government
took place. Nevertheless, the people of Nigeria understand that only
through a peaceful political process that can change takes place.
"President
Buhari came into office with reputation for integrity and a very clear
agenda that is to make sure that he has been bringing safely security
and peace to his country.
"He is very
concerned about the spread and the violence that is taking place there
and the atrocities and has a very clear agenda in defeating Boko Haram
and extremists.
"I want to emphasise how
much I appreciate President Buhari’s work so far. I have seen him put
together a team so that we can do everything that we can to help him
succeed and help the people of Nigeria succeed."
In
his response, Buhari expressed gratitude to the US for its support
during the 2015 general elections in Nigeria, saying the polls were
free, fair and credible because of pressure from the US.
“We will ever be grateful,” he said.
