President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the support of the Italian government in the recovery
and repatriation of illegally deposited Nigerian assets in foreign countries.
Receiving a delegation from the Italian Parliament led by Senator Vito Petrocelli,
Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs at State House on Monday in
Abuja, Buhari commended the Italian government for demonstrating
open-mindedness and willingness to cooperate with Nigeria on the issue of
repatriation of stolen funds.
While acknowledging the good wishes of the Italian government in the
aftermath of the February 23 presidential election, Buhar told the delegation that his
second term in office would consolidate on the progress recorded in the last four
years in the country.
He also used the occasion to remind developed countries to do the needful on
reviving Lake Chad.
Lake Chad is now 10 percent of what it used to be. At least 30 million people
around it benefit from fishing, farming and animal husbandry.
The drying up of Lake Chad has forced some people to defy the Sahara desert and
the Mediterranean in their bid to get to Europe, he said.
Buhari thanked the Italian government for its policy of accommodating displaced
persons, particularly African refugees.
The Nigerian leader also appreciated the Italian delegation for emphasizing the cordial
relationship between Nigeria and Italy and the need to establish a bilateral committee
on friendship that would identify areas of cooperation and work collectively.
The Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Stefano Pontesilli, who accompanied the
delegation, while conveying the message of the Italian Government had told the
Nigerian leader: We are willing to cooperate with your administration 100 percent
on illicit assets repatriation.
Local media reports said that Senator Petrocelli had earlier told President Buhari
that the delegation, which included Senator Tony Chike Iwobi, Vice Chairman,
Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, a Nigerian and first African to be elected
into the Italian Parliament, was in the country to attend to the June 12 Democracy
Day celebrations.
He also congratulated the Nigerian leader on his re-election.
The Nigerian President and the delegation, which included Italian investors,
discussed a range of bilateral and global issues including migration, Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), infrastructure development, anti-corruption and the
need to strengthen the inter-parliamentary relationship between Nigeria and Italy.
GIK/APA