‘If you represent a people, you won’t like to see them suffering’ – Buhari

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday in New York, received briefing from the President of ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Brou.

The president was brought up to speed with developments in Guinea Bissau, which should hold elections soon; Togo, where constitutional reforms are in place, and which would hold parliamentary elections on December 20; as well as Mali, where the situation is still fragile, despite concluding presidential polls recently.

According to Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina, in a statement Friday, the President commended the work being done by ECOWAS Commission, noting that “it is always better to talk and resolve issues, rather than be confrontational.”

He added: “If you represent a people, you won’t like to see them suffering.”

Mr Buhari also pledged that Nigeria would always live up to its financial commitments to the sub-regional body, “since we don’t want to be big for nothing. We will always look for the money.”

The president approved that Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, joined the president of ECOWAS Commission on a special mission to deepen the peace process in Mali.