Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has advocated a permanent membership status for Nigeria in the Security Council of the United Nations (UN).
He said the country deserves it because of its contributions to international peace keeping , the size of its population and economy.
Delivering a keynote address on Wednesday at the Africa launch of the Global Commission Report on the theme: “Confronting the Crisis of Global Governance” at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Vice President.
Osinbajo said: “Nigeria fully shares the views expressed in the Report, that the United Nation’ Security Council should be expanded including the call in the Report for restraint on the use of veto by the five permanent members of the Council.’’
He said Nigeria fully shared the views expressed in the report that the United Nations Security Council should be expanded, including the call in the report for restraint on the use of veto by the five permanent members of the council.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, quoted the vice president as saying that Nigeria’s position was “based on our peacekeeping role in the United Nations, the size of our economy and the fact that we have the largest population in the continent. Nigeria deserves a permanent status in the Security Council.”
The vice president was of the view that since Africa was the only continent without a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, Nigeria had the strongest profile to represent Africa and, therefore, balance the membership composition of the council.
Regarding trans-border problems, Professor Osinbajo said “Nigeria fully shares the view that no one state or states can effectively deal with such challenges.
“For us as a nation and government, the issue of security, justice and human rights, climate change and sustainable good governance constitute the cornerstone of responsibility we owe our people.”
He, therefore, disclosed that such a realisation “explained why the Federal Government of Nigeria was meticulously re-assessing the entire governance question with the hope of putting in place structures and institutions that can sustain Nigeria in confronting multitudes of challenges identified in the report.”
The vice president, who was the event’s special guest of honour, launched the report at the gathering chaired by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Osinbajo used the occasion to laud the commitment and vision of Madeleine K. Albright, former United States Secretary of State and particularly Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, both co-chairs of the commission that produced the report for their pursuit of global security, justice and governance.
In his presentation of the report, Professor Gambari underscored the significance of global alliance for security, justice and good governance, especially for Africa as a continent.
He also supported the vice president’s call for a permanent Security Council membership status for Nigeria.
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