Despite leaving Nigeria early for the funeral of late South African leader, Nelson Mandela, President Goodluck Jonathan has been snubbed by the South African authorities at the State Memorial Service of the anti-apartheid leader.

An official release of programmes during the memorial service shows that the Nigerian president was missing on the list of world leaders billed to give tributes. The world leaders who will be giving tributes are, United State President, Barack Obama; President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil; Vice-President Li Yuanchao of China; President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia; President Pranab Mukherjee of India; and President Raúl Castro Ruz of Cuba.

Other leaders billed to give tributes are the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon; and the African Union Commission Chair, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

Though Mr. Jonathan is not the only head of state that would not give tribute- there are about 90 heads of state attending the funeral, the apparent snub handed Mr. Jonathan also appears to rubbish the enormous effort played by Nigeria to bring an end to apartheid in South Africa at a time when Western governments were pussyfooting to pressure the apartheid government to renounce its policy of segregation and its brutal abuses against the black majority. Some Western governments including the U.S. had even designated the ruling Africa National Congress (ANC) as a terrorist organisation, and Mandela a terrorist.

This point was also highlighted by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday in a chat with journalists.
“There are more questions to answer. When you look at the part of the world where ovation is now the loudest, it was the part of the world the pain was the most vicious. In a very cruel irony, history is being revised.

“The people, who collaborated with the government that enthroned apartheid at that time, are the people that are paying the biggest tributes now. But I ask myself: is this not the time for deep reflection? I doubt if any African country expended as much time, as much money and as much commitment as the Nigerian Government.

“I was a teenager then in 1976 when anti-apartheid campaign really gained resurgence in every home in this country. Nigeria paid a huge price for what South Africa has become today. I remember the anti-apartheid campaign was at the core of Nigerian foreign policy.

“Apart from scholarship given to South Africans, I remember President Yar’Adua met Thabo Mbeki in South Africa and he was telling me about their relationship, which he said was dated to when Mbeki used to come to Zaria for student exchange programme. I remember we did not go for Commonwealth Games because of South Africa. I remember we took drastic measures against the foreign collaborators of apartheid regime and nationalised assets.”

However, Lagos-based lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, says Nigerian politicians are to be blame for the pedestrian level the country presently occupies in the international community. He says the complete atrophy of the respect the country was accorded in global affairs was as a result of years of misrule and corruption by the country’s politicians.

“Nigeria has lost its social, political and economic glory domestically and that glory that is lost cannot be recovered at Mandela’s funeral,” he said.

“While Nigeria officialdom maybe in a state of discomfiture by the non-recognition of Nigeria in the protocol of the funeral, the point is that it is not what Nigeria did for South Africa or for Angola or for any of the frontline states like Namibia that Nigeria will be remembered. It not the support Nigeria gave to the ANC… that Nigeria will be recognised by, it is what Nigeria has done for itself and what Nigeria has not done for itself. And we’ve done a lot against ourselves. Look at our country; our country is broken in many respects and no you’re talking about xenophobia, what led to it? Nigerian young people go overseas and become criminals the way we are criminals in our own country.

People leave the shore of Nigeria to be criminals outside our shores. Right from the time they leave Nigeria they’re going overseas to be criminals. We are exporting blue-collar crimes and Yahoo Yahoo to all sorts of countries, to Malaysia and are we blaming those countries for our own woes?
“How you will be regarded abroad is determined by how you’re regarded at home. Now how is the Nigeria state regarded by Nigerians? The Nigerian state is regarded by Nigerian as an uncaring state, as a heartless state, as a state that has no love for its people, as a state that has abandoned its people. So how has the Nigerian state treated its own people before we start taking offence at how the Nigerian state is treated by another country?

“Those who may be belly-aching about not being giving recognition by the organisers of the funeral of Mandela should know that while they may not be regarded, the South African people regard Nigeria. Go and read all the accounts, the role that is played by Nigerians is recognised in all those imperishable works and this cannot be obliterated by this treatment that is accorded to Nigerian officials that we at home have contempt for.

If we are disgraced outside, that disgrace didn’t come from outside that disgrace come from within because we have disgraced and debased ourselves. Do you expect anybody to take you seriously when what your rulers are known for is taking your money and cashing them away? In fact it s better they are humiliated outside so that they can come back home and be serious. If bad people are accorded all the respect and dignity that good people should be accorded how do you think they will change.”

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/151219-jonathan-snubbed-mandelas-memorial.html

I now strongly believe that this Jonathan's Administration Cultivates, Breeds, Nurtures, Fertilizes, Harvests, Packages, and Distributes CORRUPTION.

what do u stand to gain from this childish write-up?

hmmmmm...even if nigeria is a failed country, it's not d worst.


i dnt care if gej or nigeria was snubbed...
dey only know nigeria for bad tins not d good tins. every country has it's own share of corruption. nigeria dint start it neither will dey end it.
watever, screw dem.
i love nigeria.

Lol...

Afterall, they've been reading the ridicule all over the internet...

Who wants to hear from a reta.rdeen?

Who wants to hear from the husband of a shepo.potamus?

We deserve whatever we get as a country..
This is just the beginning!

Infact, I won't be surprised if All Nigerians are denied entry to the stadium!
We deserve it...
Mr Soyinka must be rejoicing now. Tambuwal, Buhari, Asari and all other e.diots who have disgraced this nation thinking they were embarrasing an innocent man...


What else do we have to be proud about?

Africa's No.1 Nation was shamed in an event organised by fellow continent-men.

This is just the beginning...

This is the time for sober reflection.......

deshclones: what do u stand to gain from this childish write-up?

Let me spell out to you then:
Nigeria did a lot for the anti-apartheid movement than the countries that the bulk of today's speakers represent. My retired father has his own personal stories of what the Obj military regime did for ANC.
I think its not Jonathan that has suffered a snub, nope it's Nigeria that has been snubbed. How low this country has fallen!

Nonsense post.

Naija name de inside mud te te

deshclones: what do u stand to gain from this childish write-up?

There is nothing childish about the report...

Its high time we stopped running everywhere to celebrate those who care less about us

Be it as it may, the bitter truth message has been sent to all Nigerians home and abroad.
The earlier we arise and re-build our nation and its dented image, the better for us.

It dosen't end at throwing insults on our President; we should do the bits we can individually
to move this nation forward....

iterator25: Naija name de inside mud te te

Except you're not a Nigerian, you're among those in the mud

I listened live to when our dear president was introduced. The was huge roar from the crowd in the stadium.

what the OP stated is very untrue

Acidosis:

There is nothing childish about the report...

Its high time we stopped running everywhere to celebrate those who care less about us

exactly

deor03: I listened live to when our dear president was introduced. The was huge roar from the crowd in the stadium.

what the OP stated is very untrue

Roar from who? Nigerians hunting for daily bread in white man land South africa?

[size=16pt]“There are more questions to answer.When you look at the part of the world where ovation is now the loudest, it was the part of the world the pain was the most vicious. In a very cruel irony, history is being revised.The people, who collaborated with the government that enthroned apartheid at that time, are the people that are paying the biggest tributes now."[/size]

So Deep

From Angola to South Africa, there's no sense of appreciation as pertains to what Nigeria did for them during their liberation struggles. It's time we focused our foreign policy direction on ourselves. At least, that way, we won't suffer ingrates.

deshclones: what do u stand to gain from this childish write-up?

If you love this country and you are concerned about its present state, you wouldn't consider the write-up childish at all!!

If every president present there was meant to give a speech, will that ceremony ever finish? Maybe it'll end next tomorrow!
Although I still think that they should have given Nigeria a chance to tell their own story!

If i have not been watching the burial in cnn station i would have believe this rubbish.MANY SHOUTS OF JOY AND HAPINES FOLOWED GEJ AS HIS NAME WAS MENTION.

VICTORCIZA: If i have not been watching the burial in cnn station i would have believe this rubbish.MANY SHOUTS OF JOY AND HAPINES FOLOWED GEJ AS HIS NAME WAS MENTION.

This is somehow comforting!

MY QUESTION TO THE IDIOT THAT POSTED THIS,MUST GEJ DELIVER SPEACH IN EVERY INTERNATIONAL FUNTION?

When i wrote this,i got alot of insults and rubbissh comments https://www.nairaland.com/1546058/annoying-facts-abt-mandela-nigerians but with all the Sacrifice we made for the ANC and South Africa,our people are still treated poorly,this is not a shame on GEJ but the whole citizens and the country itself

ceo4eva: I now strongly believe that Jonathan's Administration Cultivates, Breeds, Nurtures, Fertilizes, Harvests, Packages, and Distributes Corruption.

You reali are a DUNCE. Infact, worse than a Dunce; more like an Okpee. So cos Nigeria was not askd to give a Speech at Mandela's Birthday, it there4 means that GEJ Admin 'cultivates, breeds, grows, etc corruption'?? Lawd have Mercy!! If I said everytin I felt cos of this unbelievably stu.pid logic in my mind right now , Seun himself wud ban me for 55years....#KIDS

Lilimax:
Except you're not a Nigerian, you're among those in the mud

I lie?

before nko

Point of Correction

Nigeria is snubbed not Jonathan. You should see it that way and keep quiet except you don't have shame!

VICTORCIZA: If i have not been watching the burial in cnn station i would have believe this rubbish.MANY SHOUTS OF JOY AND HAPINES FOLOWED GEJ AS HIS NAME WAS MENTION.

lie

With all our sacrifices and support during and after apartheid, we did't get any official recognition and the ones getting it didn't do much or even supported apartheid in SA.

It's hard to blame them with all the nuisance we are constituting in their country. The fact that GEJ himself carries little or no weight, zero global knowledge, sophistication and the fact that he's grossly incompetent and corrupt to be felt on the world stage is a great disadvantage.

He's just too weak and timid so they push him around or to the back as needed...

The world knows that all things are not equal in Nigeria as regards the state of the nation. Ceteris paribus.