‘why Yar’adua Shunned Un General Assembly’

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Honourable Wole Oke, yesterday said President Umaru Musa  Yar’Adua’s absence  at the  recent United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York,  was a deliberate diplomatic protest.
Oke said it was  "a deliberate  diplomatic   protest against the United States of America, whose  body language towardsNigeria in recent times  had been seen by   the Federal Government  as unfair."
This is coming on the heels of  indications that   Nigeria may  pull out her troops serving in the United Nations peace keeping contingent in Darfur, Sudan, in protest over the seeming refusal  by Washington and other world powers to appreciate  its contribution to global peace.Oke said the Nigerian government had been uncomfortable with the rather frosty bilateral relations between Washington and Abuja, since the election of President Barrack Obama.
In an interaction with newsmen in Abuja, Oke  said despite Nigeria’s favourable disposition and widespread  support for  the election of the first African American President of the United States, the first shocker was when  Obama shunned Nigeria in his first visit to Africa  and rather, chose to make  uncomplimentary remarks about the country while in Ghana.As if that was not enough, Oke said the US Secretary of State,Senator Hilary Clinton, who finally visited Nigeria in the course of her tour of Africa, also chided the Nigerian government on the allegations that it has become less enthusiastic on the war against corruption.
He said in view of the developments, Nigeria has no businessretaining her peace keeping troops in Sudan, as her role in promoting world peace had not been appreciated by the United States of America. He lamented   that despite Nigeria’s leading role in peace keeping operations in Africa and beyond, the United Nations did not accord her the honour of holding the commanding position in the peace keeping efforts in   Sudan.“America is only after its own interest.
Our President is aware of this, and is uncomfortable with it. That is the reason he stayed away from the meeting. Although Federal Government was represented at the meeting by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ojo Maduekwe, the absence of the President meant something was wrong,” he said.
According to Oke, the US can neither claim that Nigeria is not serious about anti-graft war, nor can it dictate to Nigeria on how to curb corruption, as corruption remains a global menace that cuts across various sectors and various climes.   Nigeria, he said, has lately demonstrated some level of seriousness   in the fight against corruption, given the fact that some persons hitherto believed to be sacred cows have been arraigned  on charges of corruption.

source:  http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=156823

Childish diplomacy and immature response. Clearly indicates that we as a nation is not ready to move forward.

Its a pity an assembly man talks this way; and it will even be more disatrous if he talks for Mr Yar' adua. Pulling our troops out of Sudan is telling the world that we have been doing peacekeeping all these years, sacrificing men and resources just trying to please the US and UN. Instead of this childish gibberrish, Nigeria should intensify efforts on anti-corruption, then the world will know that we are serious.
Avoiding Obama or UN is not going to solve anything

I owe you one bottle of beer! Correct analysis

  am rolling on the floor, who gives a heck if yar-a-dua didnt come for the meeting?  my yoruba people have a proverb "[/b] OJA DUGBE KO MO PENIKAN O WA[b] . It means people hardly notice which trader is absent in the Dugbe market, lol, protest my foot!

I can't believe this.

Not even a primary six pupil will throw such irrational verbal tantrum.
What is being said here is that OUR president YarAdua has been waiting for a pat on the back from Obama and Ban Ki Moon all this while.

This is the nadir of our collective self denigration.

Nonsense yarns from nonsense half-literate government people.

 ‘why Yar’adua Shunned Un General Assembly’  So nobody would, at close up range, see that we were being ruled by a sickly half dead man.

And people thought the president is not smart enough to boycott the assembly when he knows that he may not make it past 10 minutes standing on the podium.

And if I may ask, does boycotting UN automatically mean one is boycotting USA?

someonw should help me ask the geniuses in power o. . .

Tell it to the birds.

I am surprised that comments like these will emanate from official quarters!   If the president has a personal problem with Obama administration, he should pursue such on a personal level. It is not good to drag the country into some childish sulking fit and juvenile tantrums in the commity of nations because Yar Adua was chided by Obama and Hillary.  

Is he protesting for himself, or the PDP?  

He certainly should not be protesting in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

wetin dey pain me for all these mata be say the whole world go think say na so all Nigerians foolish. Walahi we don suffer for our leader's hand

The long neck guy self be first class mumu, I tire for this una country oo.

So Yar'uda wants Obama to Visit Nigeria by all means? So that he will tell him "that meeting Him(Obama) is the greatest and best moment of his life. Meeting you is a miracle that i will forever treasure as far as i live"

Just like he said visting White house when he was recieved by George Bush was "a honour he will never 4get in life"

Over all, Tom ATEKE's acceptance of his amnesty was his 2009 treasured independence gift.


Yar'dull pls wake up!!!!

When are we going to desist from washing our dirty linen in the public, If he wants to make a point on how unfair nigeria is being treated diplomatically,he would have attended the summit and drive home his point while being called to make his speech, Ghaddafi and ahmedinejad attended the summit and made their remarks even though the west didnt like their speeches, yaradua should be presidential & stop behaving like a sickler, this is just too "CHILDISH"

@sodconfirm   Apart from Nigeria, which country do you know that does not do things for their own self interest?

They have ran out of excuses. A drowning man clutches at any straw he sees even if it will not save him.

Unfortunately, this one makes them look more foolish.