No fewer than four hundred and fifty officials are in the Nigerian delegation that accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to the 2016 (United Nations)
Summit of Heads of States and Governments.
The Nigerian delegation is made up of half the members of the Federal Executive Council, the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari and two children of President Buhari. Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State prominently features in the Nigerian crowd.
The ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), was fond of criticizing the fallen administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of huge number of functionaries while he held sway for six years and maintained annual attendance at the same forum.
Sharpedgenews.com observed that the Minister of Environment came with more than ten personnel and the Minister claimed that funding for their attendance was provided by the UN. It is doubtful if the multilateral organization would ever make such reckless sponsorship.
Also, in the delegation is the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe, who, contrary to his public cries was caught hypocritically ordering rice from a Chinese Restaurant instead of sandy rice grains which he often advocates for the masses at home.
The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was also spotted alongside Presidential Spokesperson, Femi Adeshina and Minister of Internal Affairs, Lt. General Dambazau. As usual, the protocol Nigerian Press Crew has not yet asked Mr. Buhari questions on how he ended up plagiarizing portions of a past speech by United States President, Barack Obama.
President Muhammadu Buhari joined the advanced team of the delegation early on Sunday for the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA. Femi Adesina, the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity had confirmed the Buhari’s arrival via his twitter account on Sunday. He did not give full disclosure on the size of the delegation and its financial toll on the economy currently in recession.
A statement earlier issued by Mr. Adesina in Abuja, said the president while in New York, would deliver Nigeria’s statement at the opening of the General Debate of the Assembly, on the theme: “The Sustainable Development Goals: a Universal Push to Transform our World”.
Buhari would also give a keynote address on “Taking Climate Action Towards Sustainable Development in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin”.
The president would also attend a high-level summit, hosted by the UN, on “Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants’’.
According to Adesina, while in New York for the annual gathering of world leaders, President Buhari will also attend series of meetings as well as side events, which are of significant interest to Nigeria.
Buhari and Obama are expected to meet on Tuesday in New York, on the sidelines of the US leader’s final appearance at the UN General Assembly session.
This is the second time President Buhari would be at the UN since he was inaugurated on May 29, 2015.