| Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, who led the Nigerian delegation to the 63rd session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York will not be able to address the assembly until after all Heads of State and governments have delivered their speeches. Maduekwe is representing President Umar Musa Yar’Adua who will not be attending this year’s meeting. The President is said to be staying back at home for the impending reconstitution of the cabinet. Other Heads of State have been slated to speak at the assembly from today to October 1st. THISDAY gathered that the UN protocol states that a representative can only speak after all presidents, kings and prime ministers have addressed the assembly. The foreign minister might be able to deliver his speech on October 1st when other foreign ministers are expected to make remarks. According to a UN schedule, President Yar’ Adua was slated to address the assembly in New York Wednesday, September 24. But the schedule had listed Yar�Adua as the lead speaker at the assembly’s afternoon session on that day. Yar�Adua had addressed the assembly in September 2007 for the first time during which he stressed the role of Nigeria as a promoter of African interests on the global scene and called for a fundamental reform and expansion of the UN Security Council. He had also emphasised Nigeria’s support for the expansion in the permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN so as to �reflect existing realities of the world.” According to the UN schedule, President Yar�Adua will deliver his speech before a gathering of world leaders and observers on September 24 at 3 pm New York time, 8 pm Nigerian time. Yar’Adua was expected to speak on issues affecting Africa, as well as other global matters, including climate change, developmental issues, peace-keeping and security. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, has made a fresh call for a concerted effort in the international community to help African countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In his opening remarks at the high-level meeting on Africa’s Development Needs yesterday, Ki-Moon stated that it would cost $72 billion per year in external financing to reach the MDGs by the target year of 2015. The Secretary-General said that although current trends show that no African country would reach that goal by 2015, he is convinced that it can be done if African governments and development partners take the necessary steps. “No one is more alarmed than you at the current trends which indicate that no African country will achieve all the Goals by 2015. “But I am convinced that through concerted action by African governments and their development partners, the MDGs remain achievable in Africa,” said Ki-Moon. He stressed the need to improve maternal health and access to free primary education on the continent. |
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