President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja on Saturday for N’Djamena, capital of Chad Republic, to participate in the Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, CEN-SAD.

Created by the Treaty of Tripoli on February 4, 1998 with six founding members, Nigeria joined the current 29-member regional economic community in 2001 which seeks mainly to create a free trade area in Africa, as well as “strengthen peace, security and stability and achieve global economic and social development of its members.”

Delegations from 22 member-nations are expected at the extraordinary meeting of CEN-SAD holding on Saturday at the Radission Blu Hotel, N’Djamena.

President Buhari and other regional leaders will join their host and current Chairperson of CEN-SAD Conference, President Idriss Deby, to deliberate among others and political and security issues, state of peace and ways to address multifaceted threats in CEN-SAD areas especially Boko Haram and refugees, and make a declaration on the Treaty intended to fast track the realisation of the objectives of the body.

During the opening Session of the Conference, Special awards will be given to Heads of States and military contingency in Mali, Sudan, Somalia, Central African Republic and in the Lake Chad Basin

President Buhari will be accompanied to the CEN-SAD meeting by Governors Kashim Shettima, Akinwunmi Ambode and Adegboyega Oyetola of Borno, Lagos and Osun respectively.

Others include Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Interior, Adurahman Dambazadi, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, National Security Adviser, Mohammed Monguno; Director-General, National Intelligence Agency Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede; and the Federal Commissioner of Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced persons, Sadiya Umar Farouq

The president will return to the country at the end of the conference on Saturday.

Source:- Premiumtimesng

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