President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met separately behind closed-doors with a former Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Ayaoku, and a former Presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu.
The meetings, said to be “strictly private,” were held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Anyaoku told State House correspondents that his meeting with the President centered on international affairs, including Buhari’s forthcoming visit to the United States on the invitation of President Barack Obama.
He said they also touched on some national issues because of the strong link between foreign policy and domestic issues.
He said, “I put at his disposal the benefits of my long experience on governance matters with Heads of Governments of 54-member countries of the Commonwealth and also other issues related to internal affairs.
“He is a President who is determined to effect a real change in the circumstances of our country and very determined too to bringing to bear on his administration, the generally perceived attributes of his character, which I believe many Nigerians would support.
“I believe that before he became President, he was known as somebody who has very strong passion for anti-corruption. I believe that he is determined to fight and he would go a long way in doing so. Corruption is a very endemic issue in our society and I am quite impressed of his determination to do something about it.”
Momodu also told journalists that his discussion with the President was candid.
“We discussed different issues affecting our country and I gave him my own idea as a publisher, journalist, a columnist and the way forward for Nigeria,” he added.
Momodu said he told the President that women must be involved in governance of Nigeria.
He said he told Buhari that on corruption, the needs of women are not as big as that of men.
“We spoke about security and the efforts he is making, we spoke about anti-corruption crusade and I must say today he reassured me that not only does he know what he is doing, he is determined to make Nigeria work,” Momodu added.