http://thecitizenng.com/governance/jonathans-visit-to-china-jolts-obama-to-seek-reconciliation-with-nigeria/

The White House has opened fresh talks on the possibility of a presidential-level contact between Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Barack Obama later this year in Washington DC, in a bid to rebuild confidence after Obama snubbed Nigeria in a presidential visit to Africa recently.

Besides, just as Obama was wrapping up his Africa trip last month, the Nigerian government announced President Jonathan’s State visit to China, raising diplomatic eyebrows at the US Capital. Soon afterwards, a US government top official from the State Department headed out to Abuja the same time the Nigerian president was in China to clarify the situation.

It was gathered that, until few days ago, discussions and reviews on the controversial decision of the White House to leave Nigeria out of Obama’s travel plans in Africa were actively going on in US government circles including the Congress.

For instance, it was learnt that the Special Assistant to Obama on Africa, Mr. Grant T. Harris, was playing the defensive on Thursday at the US Congress at a meeting hosted by a US Representative Karen Bass, a Democratic party Congressman, who is a ranking member of the House Sub-Committee on Africa.

That meeting was themed “Perspectives from President Obama’s Africa Trip and AGOA 2013 Forum,” and was attended by members of the US Congress from the Senate and the House, as well as diplomats, including Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, Prof Ade Adefuye.

    There, Harris was quoted as saying regarding the decision not to visit Nigeria, that “one event does not define a relationship.”
Ambassador Adefuye, who was listed as one of the key speakers and invited by the US Congress, at the meeting, explained how awkward it was for the US to say the presidential visit to Africa was about trade and the African youth, yet Nigeria was not a stop.

Adefuye, who has earned a reputation for lucidity and diplomatic regard in US government circles, reportedly reminded the meeting that Nigeria, being the US largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa and the country with the largest number of youths in the continent (25 percent of African youths) should have been the highlight of the presidential trip.


Sources at the meeting said Adefuye then challenged the White House officials and US policy makers present at the meeting to ensure that Obama still visited Nigeria before the expiration of his second term since he still has three more years in office.

Although no formal concession on that was given, sources disclosed that US officials were open to the idea, and, besides, the plan is already being implemented for a possible Obama-Jonathan White House meeting within the next two months.

An authoritative diplomatic source hinted that both the Nigerian and the US governments were now keen to start rebuilding diplomatic confidence again after what Nigeria considered a snub, and the proposed Obama-Jonathan White House meeting will cement it, as US’s offer to reassure that Nigeria was still its strategic partner in Africa.

In a similar vein US-based Nigerians also felt the decision of Obama to exclude Nigeria was a strategic error on the part of US policy makers.
According to the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) in a recent statement on the matter, “a visit by President Obama, based on the widespread admiration he enjoys in Nigeria, would have served to mobilise the Nigerian people and pushed the country towards fulfilling its potential, the same fact for which the US government itself have described the country as its African anchor.

On several occasions, the US had described Nigeria as one of its three major strategic partners in Africa, but the decision to leave Nigeria out because of a major but fleeting security challenge could turn out a strategic mistake.”

But speaking over the weekend, Adefuye simply said he was satisfied that the Nigeria-US relationship was getting back on a sound footing. He refused further comments. – Guardian

Let it be known today that Jonathan's wisdom lies within his perceived folly.

With or without US, Nigeria remains the giant of Africa.

I am still trying to figure out how GEJ is a ratardino.

Freeanijoo: I am still trying to figure out how GEJ is a ratardino.

They just want to call a dog a bad name in order to kill it. The guy is trying compared to his predecessors.

i dont know why some nigerians[?] are always running after obama to notice them.

let the man be, gosh.

tpia@:
i dont know why some nigerians[?] are always running after obama to notice them.

let the man be, gosh.

You have written well based on your understanding of international politics. Nobody is running after Obama but it is in the interest of both countries to appreciate the strength they bring to the table as continental giants of Africa and north America.

Obama will visit Nigeria in 2014 or early part of 2015. He has not also visited Kenya. He only visited Israel for the first time as President this year. A whole Israel.

USA, USA! Dese people are d worst bestfriend any country shuld have, dey will send u food to feed d poor n also guns so d poor will kill. Dey help wif 1 hand n destroy wif d oda, checkout what dey did to Tony Blair. US snubed us while UK sanctioned a £3000 fine on us, and dey just keep insulting us n we keep going back to suck dere di*cks. I knew that GEJ move with china will create an impact in d inter' circle, dat was a brave n honourable move, rather than sit and ask why GEJ went on to find another di*ck.

USA, USA! Dese people are d worst bestfriend any country shuld have, dey will send u food to feed d poor n also guns so d poor will kill. Dey help wif 1 hand n destroy wif d oda, checkout what dey did to Tony Blair. US snubed us while UK sanctioned a £3000 fine on us, and dey just keep insulting us n we keep going back to suck dere di*cks. I knew that GEJ move with china will create an impact in d inter' circle, dat was a brave n honourable move, rather than sit and ask why GEJ went on to find another di*ck. I hope dis tym d wear a condom so we don't get proper F*UCK'd

gerald09: USA, USA! Dese people are d worst bestfriend any country shuld have, dey will send u food to feed d poor n also guns so d poor will kill. Dey help wif 1 hand n destroy wif d oda, checkout what dey did to Tony Blair. US snubed us while UK sanctioned a £3000 fine on us, and dey just keep insulting us n we keep going back to suck dere di*cks. I knew that GEJ move with china will create an impact in d inter' circle, dat was a brave n honourable move, rather than sit and ask why GEJ went on to find another di*ck. I hope dis tym d wear a condom so we don't get proper F*UCK'd

Someone should please tell this red Indians we are with China now. We don't double date.

Goddex: Obama will visit Nigeria in 2014 or early part of 2015. He has not also visited Kenya.

he has visited Kenya.

i dont see the reason why some people keep calling for him to visit nigeria?

whats in it for you?


na by force? If he doesnt want to visit, that's that.

USA has 300 million people and consume 60% of our oil.
China has 1 billion 300 million people and will consume 90% of our oil if we let them.

China gives loan and develops infrastructure with it and takes paltry 3%.

we are not a warring country and we have peace loving neighouring countries so we dont need America's defense system and ally.

So, tell me why we need America ?

Billyonaire: USA has 300 million people and consume 60% of our oil.
China has 1 billion 300 million people and will consume 90% of our oil if we let them.

China gives loan and develops infrastructure with it and takes paltry 3%.

we are not a warring country with peaceloving neighouring countries and dont need America's defense system and ally. So, tell me why we need America ?

America is over rated as per what they can bring to the table for their allies. They are arrogant and disrespectful. They don't treat allies well and promote democracy when it favors them. Look at Egypt, because the elected government was formed under Islamic principles, America mobilized Egyptian against their government and they have subsequently refused to call the military action in Egypt a coup. Two face people. So much for human freedom.

tpia@:


he has visited Kenya.

i dont see the reason why some people keep calling for him to visit nigeria?

whats in it for you?


na by force? If he doesnt want to visit, that's that.

When did he visit Kenya nah?
He has not visited Kenya as US President.

Obama loves Nigeria but hates Jonathan for the same reasons we despise him. Oga GEJ u dey f**kk up!

USA make una free us.

Na Chinko we go follow.

Jonathan should phone write back to say he'd be too busy at the time......washing his hair, hence wouldn't be able to make the date!

Nonsense!

LastApostle: Someone should please tell this red Indians we are with China now. We don't double date.

cowboys u mean

Seconded..

Someof us here are naïve and incongruous. There is a practice by any president or prime minister of any countries, whenever they are flying or passing tru the airspace of a particular country, a cabled message would be sent to the ATC, greeting the president of the country and telling him he/she is passing through the airspace.

This practice has been for long and I recognise the fact that Obama never did that to GEJ to show how much hatred he has for Nigeria and GEJ in general. The period also coincide with the NGF brouhaha where 16 was pronounced greater than 19. This scenario affected the image of Nigeria that some presidents are even avoiding our airspace...

dolphinife: Someof us here are naïve and incongruous. There is a practice by any president or prime minister of any countries, whenever they are flying or passing tru the airspace of a particular country, a cabled message would be sent to the ATC, greeting the president of the country and telling him he/she is passing through the airspace.

This practice has been for long and I recognise the fact that Obama never did that to GEJ to show how much hatred he has for Nigeria and GEJ in general. The period also coincide with the NGF brouhaha where 16 was pronounced greater than 19. This scenario affected the image of Nigeria that some presidents are even avoiding our airspace...

So in your own intelligence and brilliance, a president that is visiting about four nations in a continent will just plan the trip within just one week....

Caleboha: Obama loves Nigeria but hates Jonathan for the same reasons we despise him. Oga GEJ u dey f**kk up!

your situation is kolomental case, have you taken your madness drug today?

I will personally welcome obama @ abuja airport but that may be 2014 or 2015, not this year anymore

akpomeme: Let it be known today that Jonathan's wisdom lies within his perceived folly.

so you regard this as "wisdom" what will a u.s presidential visit do to improve nigeria? During obasnajo's government. Pres. Clinton, pres, bush,tony blair, queen elizabeth ii, prince charles all visited nigeria, how has that helped us so far as a nation. Mr president should divert his so called "wisdom" to more areas that will really affect nigerians.

Caleboha: Obama loves Nigeria but hates Jonathan for the same reasons we despise him. Oga GEJ u dey f**kk up!

I can imagine what's going on in the mind of GEJ here; "ehen, a whole US president dey shake me. Na God do am."

That said, @Caleb be nice.

What will Obama offer us that America has not offered since 1960? Peace on one hand and military coup on the other hand? Somebody should tell Obama to make sure he comes with his own food because the 1Billion naira budgeted for food in Aso Rock will not reach him. If he likes let him come otherwise he should travel to Egypt and help them control their mob .

As long as the phone I'm using to type this is Made in China and the road I drived to church was constructed by CCECC and now they are buying our oil , why on earth do we even need USA, and see the insult of saying they are going to invite our president to meet with theirs in their country.
Only poor and weak countries need US for aids and defense

This Adefuye is a mad man. Must Obama come to Nigeria?

fck obama

America and it's president can get back to Nigeria finally by doing to Nigeria whatever they did to Sudan, this they can do by backing biafra through the United nation security council mandatory plebiscite. Now when biafra breaks out let's see what will become of nigeria and it's baseless arrogance

As long as Britain and America allows Nigeria to exist they will keep having problems controlling Africa, I hope American cia can visualize what happens when China anc India over take them and Africa becomes an ally of the Asian giants