Buhari predicts Mohammed may become first female UN Secretary-General

…Sirleaf Johnson canvasses support for her presidency as second female African president

PRESIDENT Buhari has predicted that the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Muhammad, who had just began her second term in office, would occupy the coveted position of the world number one civil servant in the next six years as first female Secretary General of the global body.

The President made the disclosure yesterday in his goodwill message at a symposium organised by the Centre For Public Research and Development to commemorate the former Minister of Environment’s 60th birthday.

Represented by the Chief of Staff, Prof. Agboola Ibrahim Gambari, the President congratulated the UN chief for the feat she has attained on the global scale, saying her recent re-appointment was one of the testament of her credentials.

“It is not surprising therefore that after completing her tenure, the UN Secretary General graciously reappointed her as Deputy Secretary General, the second African and the first to be done by a female African, of course Nigerian. On this note, I am optimistic that she will become the first female Secretary General. Who knows, six years is not far from here,” the president said.

In the same vein, former Liberian President, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, also challenged Nigerian politicians to take a cue from Liberia to elect her as the female president in the country and second in the continent.

Sirleaf Johnson described the UN Deputy Secretary General as a force of nature and consensus builder, who had overtime beaten every odd to pride herself as a global brand, adding that she is ripe for the plum job but also qualified given her experience.

She said, “I am elated by the example of the Governor of Kaduna State because in Nigeria we look up to women in leadership, leadership in all aspects. Have we not had a woman governor? Would it not be good to have a second elected female president in Nigeria?”

The former Liberian president noted that the support by men would be a stepping point because they must recognise the capabilities and contributions of women to sustain the government for the peace and security of the nation.

“Those of you, our fathers, our brothers, our sons in this room; we are wives, we are sisters, we are daughters; you have all the rights, they look to you to be their votes to bring the change that would turn around the Nigerian fortunes,” she added.