June 24, 2010
Since Saharareporters began a series of reports to expose the vast size of President Goodluck Jonathan’s delegation to Canada, the presidency has tried to discredit our reports, instead of apologizing to the Nigerian people. Yesterday, Mr. Ima Niboro issued a statement which is now being widely reported in the Nigerian media claiming that the president, who is currently in Toronto, Canada, only traveled with 32 delegates to the G8 conference in Muskoka, near Toronto.
Since Saharareporters began a series of reports to expose the vast size of President Goodluck Jonathan’s delegation to Canada, the presidency has tried to discredit our reports, instead of apologizing to the Nigerian people. Yesterday, Mr. Ima Niboro issued a statement which is now being widely reported in the Nigerian media claiming that the president, who is currently in Toronto, Canada, only traveled with 32 delegates to the G8 conference in Muskoka, near Toronto.
That is propaganda, as it is only one-fifth of the truth. Saharareporters exposé on the monumental waste of public funds in embarking on the jamboree earlier led the presidency to cut the list from 200 to 150, but some of the personal assistants were not issued visa leading the list to reduce to about 140, the figure reported by Saharareporters.
Last night, we obtained the so-called 32-man delegation of officials that President Jonathan’s spokesman claimed comprised the delegation. It is made up of 32 persons, led by President Jonathan and his wife, Patience. It also includes Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun and Dambaba Suntai of Taraba; one of the wives of the Senate president, Mrs. Helen Mark; and the president’s personal doctor, Fortune Fiberesima. Others in the president’s party include Ima Niboro, Dora Akunyili, Moses Jituboh, Loveday Barasin, Yah’ya Shuaib, the president’s ADC, Lt. Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, and MOSOP president, Ledun Mitee.
What Mr. Niboro did not say is that the delegation to Muskoka also had a 40-strong “Advance Party” which left Nigeria ahead of Mr. Jonathan, led by Bridget Iroh Enyinnaya of the Protocol Department.
Also on Mr. Jonathan’s voyage was a seven–member “Recce Team” led by Victor Adeleke, also of the Protocol unit in the presidency. That group traveled by commercial flight to Canada prior to the arrival of the 32-member “Presidential Delegation” referred to in Mr. Niboro’s press release.
In addition to these different groups, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also sent a 15-man advance party to travel with the president led by Ambassador Hart.
Finally, the presidency also has in tow some 30 crewmembers from the presidential airfleet. That is enough to fly three jets to Canada and ultimately London where, we have reported, Jonathan jumbo-gravy train will be joined by another 120 lucky people from Nigeria.
Of great interest in the great “Canadian conquest” delegation is the vast numbers of personal assistants. The First Lady is traveling in style, with an armada of at least 10 personal assistants, including a photographer as well as television crew from NTA. These are in addition to the presence of her own ADC, Director of Protocol, and personal doctor, among others.
One member of the Advance Party, like Mr. Jonathan, traveled with his spouse. There are also journalists from the AIT, VOA (Hausa Service), The Guardian, Daily Independent and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). NTA has at least four journalists on the trip.
Nigeria was invited by the Canadian government among seven African countries to observe the G8 conference. Nigeria also intends to attend the G20, where Jonathan has made a showing of Nigeria’s need for foreign investment.
Our sources have reported from Muskoka, however, that Mr. Jonathan is only allowed to go to the G8 with six officials because Muskoka is a small resort town that has limited capacity, coupled with the tight security surrounding the summit venue.
Due to our earlier revelations, the presidency requested having the Minister of Health included on the delegation because one of the key issues to be discussed at the G8 was the high rate of infant mortality as 11% of Nigerian children die at birth, the highest rate in the world. Minister of Health Christian Chukwu was indeed granted visa but was recalled back at the airport on his way to Canada. Similarly, the Minister of Information and Communication, Dora Akuyili, who was also granted a visa, was seen in Abuja yesterday.
Saharareporters remains resolute in exposing and addressing the culture of waste and corruption in Nigeria, and we will continue to provide concrete evidence to back up our reports whenever necessary. Our obligation is to the people and nation of Nigeria, not a particular government.
We therefore urge the Jonathan government to desist from the same culture of deception, secrecy and waste that characterized its predecessor. We believe that the trip to Canada is an advert for conspicuous official consumption, waste and patronage, and we have provided the facts. The planes bound for Canada were loaded with people who had no business on board or on the soil of Canada besides squandering Nigeria’s resources. There is no amount of spin that can change the truth, and we stand by our story.
That is propaganda, as it is only one-fifth of the truth. Saharareporters exposé on the monumental waste of public funds in embarking on the jamboree earlier led the presidency to cut the list from 200 to 150, but some of the personal assistants were not issued visa leading the list to reduce to about 140, the figure reported by Saharareporters.
Last night, we obtained the so-called 32-man delegation of officials that President Jonathan’s spokesman claimed comprised the delegation. It is made up of 32 persons, led by President Jonathan and his wife, Patience. It also includes Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun and Dambaba Suntai of Taraba; one of the wives of the Senate president, Mrs. Helen Mark; and the president’s personal doctor, Fortune Fiberesima. Others in the president’s party include Ima Niboro, Dora Akunyili, Moses Jituboh, Loveday Barasin, Yah’ya Shuaib, the president’s ADC, Lt. Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, and MOSOP president, Ledun Mitee.
What Mr. Niboro did not say is that the delegation to Muskoka also had a 40-strong “Advance Party” which left Nigeria ahead of Mr. Jonathan, led by Bridget Iroh Enyinnaya of the Protocol Department.
Also on Mr. Jonathan’s voyage was a seven–member “Recce Team” led by Victor Adeleke, also of the Protocol unit in the presidency. That group traveled by commercial flight to Canada prior to the arrival of the 32-member “Presidential Delegation” referred to in Mr. Niboro’s press release.
In addition to these different groups, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also sent a 15-man advance party to travel with the president led by Ambassador Hart.
Finally, the presidency also has in tow some 30 crewmembers from the presidential airfleet. That is enough to fly three jets to Canada and ultimately London where, we have reported, Jonathan jumbo-gravy train will be joined by another 120 lucky people from Nigeria.
Of great interest in the great “Canadian conquest” delegation is the vast numbers of personal assistants. The First Lady is traveling in style, with an armada of at least 10 personal assistants, including a photographer as well as television crew from NTA. These are in addition to the presence of her own ADC, Director of Protocol, and personal doctor, among others.
One member of the Advance Party, like Mr. Jonathan, traveled with his spouse. There are also journalists from the AIT, VOA (Hausa Service), The Guardian, Daily Independent and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). NTA has at least four journalists on the trip.
Nigeria was invited by the Canadian government among seven African countries to observe the G8 conference. Nigeria also intends to attend the G20, where Jonathan has made a showing of Nigeria’s need for foreign investment.
Our sources have reported from Muskoka, however, that Mr. Jonathan is only allowed to go to the G8 with six officials because Muskoka is a small resort town that has limited capacity, coupled with the tight security surrounding the summit venue.
Due to our earlier revelations, the presidency requested having the Minister of Health included on the delegation because one of the key issues to be discussed at the G8 was the high rate of infant mortality as 11% of Nigerian children die at birth, the highest rate in the world. Minister of Health Christian Chukwu was indeed granted visa but was recalled back at the airport on his way to Canada. Similarly, the Minister of Information and Communication, Dora Akuyili, who was also granted a visa, was seen in Abuja yesterday.
Saharareporters remains resolute in exposing and addressing the culture of waste and corruption in Nigeria, and we will continue to provide concrete evidence to back up our reports whenever necessary. Our obligation is to the people and nation of Nigeria, not a particular government.
We therefore urge the Jonathan government to desist from the same culture of deception, secrecy and waste that characterized its predecessor. We believe that the trip to Canada is an advert for conspicuous official consumption, waste and patronage, and we have provided the facts. The planes bound for Canada were loaded with people who had no business on board or on the soil of Canada besides squandering Nigeria’s resources. There is no amount of spin that can change the truth, and we stand by our story.
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