Buhari leaves for Netherlands to attend ICC anniversary

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, will leave Abuja on Sunday for the Netherlands to participate in activities to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), at The Hague.

According to a statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), on Saturday in Abuja, the president is the only world leader invited to deliver a keynote address during the Solemn Hearing to commemorate the anniversary at Courtroom 1 of the ICC’s Headquarters at The Hague.

It said in buttressing Nigeria’s commitment as a member of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC, the President, as the current anti-corruption champion for the African Union, will use the global platform to reaffirm Nigeria’s support to the fundamental values of the Rome Statute and to the ideals of the ICC. He will also highlight his administration’s campaign against corruption in Nigeria.

After the event at the Courtroom, the President will have a bilateral meeting with the ICC Prosecutor, Ms Fatou Bensouda.

President Buhari will attend a dinner hosted by Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, the President of the ICC who is a Nigerian.

The Nigerian leader, while in The Hague, will meet with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, to discuss bilateral issues such as migration, peace and security, and economic cooperation.

The president and his delegation will have a separate roundtable with some Dutch Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of companies based in Nigeria with a view to urging them to expand their investments, especially in agriculture, oil and gas in Nigeria. 

Buhari will also tour the Port of Rotterdam and Shell refinery Pernis, Hoogvliet.

On the margins of the president’s visit, Nigeria and the Netherlands will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral consultations.

Buhari’s delegation to the Netherlands will include Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

 

Others are the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh; the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar; the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru; and the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman.