By Dele Ogbodo
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
at the Hague, President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday (tomorrow) July 15 depart for the Netherlands to participate at the auspicious event.
Buhari has been scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Solemn Hearing to commemorate the anniversary at Courtroom 1 of the ICC’s Headquarters at the Hague, this is according to statement signed by Mr. Femi Adesina, on Saturday.
In buttressing Nigeria’s commitment as a member of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC, the President, as the current anti-corruption champion for the African Union, will use the global platform to reaffirm Nigeria’s support to the fundamental values of the Rome Statute and to the ideals of the ICC.
He will also highlight his administration’s campaign against corruption in Nigeria, his Spokesman averred.
After the event at the Courtroom, the President will have a bilateral meeting with the ICC Prosecutor, Ms Fatou Bensouda.
Buhari, will attend a dinner hosted by Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, the President of the ICC who is a Nigerian.
The Nigerian leader, at the Hague, will also meet with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, to discuss bilateral issues such as migration, peace and security, and economic cooperation.
The President and his delegation will in a separate meeting have a roundtable with some top Dutch Chief CEO of companies based in Nigeria with a view to urging them to expand their investments in the country.
On the margins of the President’s visit, Nigeria and the Netherlands will sign a MoU on bilateral consultations, Adesina averred.
Buhari’s delegation to the Netherlands will include Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Others are the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh; the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar; the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru; and the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman.