New Telegraph

I look forward to returning home to my farm in 2023, says Buhari at 79

…parleys Turkey’s President, Erdogan, on security, defence

Lawrence Olaoye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he was looking forward to returning home after his tenure in 2023 to tend to his farm.

The President said this Friday in Istanbul, Turkey, while responding to a tribute on the occasion of his 79th birthday on behalf of the ministers and the rest of the delegation rendered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.

In a release by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, Buhari said he would put in his best for Nigeria until the last day when, in 2023 he hands over to a successor and returns to his farm to tender crops and livestock.

According to him, the President in Istanbul cut a birthday cake moulded in national colours, green-white-green, to start the day while going ahead to chair a planning meeting with officials in his delegation.

He thereafter drove to the Dolmabahce Palace for a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Recep Erdogan.

Responding to the tribute on the occasion on behalf of the ministers and the rest of the delegation rendered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Buhari said he would put in his best for the country until the last day when, in 2023, he hands over to a successor and returns to his farm to tender crops and livestock.

“I thought that being away from Abuja I will escape these things. The Guards Brigade had written to tell me what they wanted to do on this day. Now here you are doing this far away from home.

“I look forward to the year 2023 when I finish, to go home to take charge of my farm. Between now and that time, I will do the best that is possible to advance the interest of the nation and its people, and carry out my duties as prescribed by the Constitution,” he said.

As he stepped out of his suite moving to the meeting room, Shehu said, Buhari met a surprise lineup of the Nigerian delegation with a cake decorated in Nigeria’s national colours.

The group broke into a chorus, as they began chanting “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.”

Meanwhile, President Buhari has said Nigeria would partner with the Republic of Turkey in dealing with the current security challenges facing the country.

In a release by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, the President while speaking at a bilateral meeting with the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, shortly before the official commencement of the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul, acknowledged that Turkey had garnered a lot of experience dealing with security challenges of various kinds and Nigeria would latch onto that experience.

Buhari said: “Turkey has practical experience dealing with challenges over the years and Nigeria stands to gain from that.”

Assuring that the relationship between the two states would continue to grow for the mutual benefits of both countries, Buhari said he was pleased with the Turkish offer of support in the area of security and peace in Nigeria.

“I wish to express my appreciation for the special invitation for this meeting and to express my happiness with your offer of assistance in dealing with the challenges facing us.

‘‘I await the reports of officials and the ministers as they hold meetings with their counterparts. I assure you that I will endorse all their positive recommendations,” President Buhari assured Erdogan.

Earlier, the Turkish leader said that he was happy to receive the Nigerian leader shortly after he paid an official visit to Nigeria.

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