B’Haram tops agenda as Buhari meets Obama.Isis might get involved now

The Presidency on Wednesday said security, especially war against terrorism, will top the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting with President Barack Obama and others during his four-day official visit to the United States of America.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement

said Buhari would depart Abuja on Sunday to Washington DC for the visit.

Adesina said during the visit, the President would hold high-level talks with Obama and other senior officials of the US government.

“Topmost on the agenda of President Buhari’s talks with President Obama and United States Government officials would be measures to strengthen and intensify bilateral and international cooperation against terrorism in Nigeria and West Africa,” Adesina said

The presidential spokesman added that Buhari, who will meet with Obama at the White House on Monday, will later hold further discussions with the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey and the Deputy Secretary of Defence, Robert Work, on military and defence cooperation.

He said the President will also meet with Vice-President Joe Biden and confer with the US Attorney-General, Loretta Lynch;   the US Secretary of Treasury, Jack Lew; the US Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker and the US Trade representative, Michael Froman, on US support for his administration’s war against corruption as well as fresh measures to boost Nigeria-US trade relations.

Adesina said the President, who will be received by the US Secretary of State at the State Department in Washington DC, will later hold meetings with the US Senate and Congressional Committees on Foreign Relations, as well as the Black Caucus of the US House of Representatives.

Before leaving Washington DC, Adesina added that Buhari will address the US Chamber of Commerce and Corporate Council for Africa.

He said the President will be accompanied by the governors of Imo, Nasarawa, Edo, Borno and Oyo states as well as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Industry, Trade and Investment.

He added that Buhari will also host an interactive session with Nigerians in the Diaspora.

“The US trip will also afford President Buhari the opportunity of have a reunion with members of the American War College Class of 1980 in which he was a distinguished participant.

“He is due back in Abuja on Thursday, July 23,” he concluded.