ssii:

Abati has indirectly confirmed SR story.
What i understand from the denial:
GEJ's official delegation is 30
There are other ministers and essential aides who are there on GEJ's approval. (maybe about 200)
"There are other businessmen, Ngo members and tourists.
Certainly every other person who travelled with them will be lumped under the last group because they actually have no business in the UNGA but sight seeing.

“Culture of Waste and Insensitivity” And The 18th AU Summit-SaharaReporters Responds To Reuben Abati

http://saharareporters.com/press-release/%E2%80%9Cculture-waste-and-insensitivity%E2%80%9D-and-18th-au-summit-saharareporters-responds-reuben-a


By Omoyele Sowore

Dear Reuben Abati: I read your cleverly written letter to me regarding our latest report on President Goodluck Jonathan's junket to Ethiopia. In writing what purports to be a rejoinder, you deliberately left out details of our sms exchanges on the same issue. That omission, I suggest, was an attempt to evade the central issue raised in our report. Instead of confronting that issue – the list of delegates invited and sponsored by the Jonathan administration and his wife to Ethiopia – you chose to play a semantic game over what is a straight forward issue. I'll respond to your rejoinder pointedly.



[b]1. You sent me a text message on Friday claiming that our report on the Ethiopia trip was false and malicious because, according to you, there was a "mix up" somewhere. I quickly responded, telling you that a truthful report could never be malicious. Thereafter, you sent another text saying you didn't mean to criticize the report, but wanted to put matters straight. You proceeded to explain that there was only "one delegation" led by the president to Addis Ababa and that the number of people on the list was far lower than we reported. I quickly requested for the list. You responded by claiming that it was in your bag at your hotel room. However, you curiously sent another text claiming you couldn't reach some people involved in getting the list as it was "past midnight" in Addis Ababa. My last text to you was a reminder that I would be waiting for your response regarding the list and size of the delegation. That response never came; instead, you released this letter that pretends to be a refutation, but is rather an attempt at obfuscation. 


[/b]

2. You claimed that there was a single list of delegates to Ethiopia. That claim amounts to a puerile effort to conceal the fact that Mrs. Patience Jonathan was attending a program of African First Ladies which was different from the AU summit being attended by President Jonathan. This meant that the "First Lady" was traveling with a retinue of staff, associates and hangers-on to aid or support her “official” activities at a separate event from that of President Jonathan.



3. As the president’s chief spokesman, you ought to have the delegate list. I challenge you then to provide the public with a breakdown of Mr. Jonathan's "one delegation entourage" to Addis Ababa, categorized in order of designation of officials, their date of travel, mode of travel, and explanation of whether they were part of the advance party or arrived in Addis Ababa in the same aircraft as the President – or in an extra aircraft that was deployed.



[b] 4. From your letter, it is clear that you concede that some "Nigerians" may have traveled with the delegation "unofficially." Does this technical admission not defeat your initial insistence that there was only "one delegation"?



5. SaharaReporters has a history of documenting the culture of waste occasioned by the profligate junkets by the Presidency. We are glad that your principal appears to have realized that wasteful trips need to be eliminated and the size of delegations cut – especially after the president’s scandalous outing in Perth, Australia where an out-of-control delegation engaged in waste, corruption and even broke Australian laws.



6. We maintain that “First Lady” Patience Jonathan traveled with a retinue of aides, friends and associates to the tune of 32 people. Their travels and accommodation were arranged and paid for by the Nigerian government. What you owe the public is an obligation to be transparent. In this event, that entails releasing your official delegates’ list as well as names of associates, contractors, friends and "other Nigerians" the government gave a nod to visit along with the president and his wife on this trip to Addis Ababa.

In other words, we await the release of that list that you claimed was in your bag in the hotel room in Addis Ababa.

Thank you
 [/b]
Sincerely,


Omoyele Sowore

4. From your letter, it is clear that you concede that some "Nigerians" may have traveled with the delegation "unofficially." Does this technical admission not defeat your initial insistence that there was only "one delegation"?

Billyonaire:

Fat shame to all blind opposition and critics. Y'all should learn from Putin.

kingoflag:

Billyonaire sef don dey use "Yall" ....lmaoooo.... wetin man no go see for NL?

kingoflag:

Billyonaire sef don dey use "Yall" ....lmaoooo.... wetin man no go see for NL?

all4naija: That $10,000 a night hotel-room is not to expensive for a seating president. A poor bottom like me has paid $2,000 per night for two days before not to make mention of Nigerian president. The delegation is too large though.

Orlando Owoh: It is well known in New York that its economy experiences a boost whenever a UN meeting is on and Nigeria delegation is attending.

ocelot2006: Lie No 1: The amount given (600) is almost the same amount of personnel in a govt parastal!! Hell, thats a full blown army battalion!

Lie No 2: SR got to "see" the president's iteniary.......really? Do these SR fools expect us to believe that a prestigious hotel in New York will release closely guarded and secretive details about a VISITING HEAD OF STATE to better media houses, talkless of those clowns at SR?

omanzo02: This story is pure lies, what role does 600 people has to play at the UN?, even lobbying group is not that large, this sensational report is just trying to paint the government 'wasteful'.

I am not convinced, try again.

ochukoccna:
How come is it that nations with decrepit infrastructure like Nigeria and many an African country seek out the poshest hotels whilst abroad?
Can we not have an official residence for our top brass like states have liason offices in Lagos
Many 'oyinbos' laugh at our silly attempts to impress them by our spending lavishly when those funds should have been building a road or providing healthcare
I saw a report once that queen of England owns about 20% of British land
Yet this monarch does not OWN a private jet like many Nigerian elite do but uses BA's planes to get about just like the British prime minister too (who even takes public transport to work at times)
Leaders in other nations e.g Sweden are seen patronizing shopping malls used by the common man
How come Ebele's delegations to gatherings of nations always makes headlines
Recall Rio, Addis Ababa and the commonwealth meeting in Australia
Afterwards we'll take our begging bowls to London, Washington, Paris, Beijing, Moscow,World Bank etc but never get that the joke is always on us
Shame

all4naija: That $10,000 a night hotel-room is not to expensive for a seating president. A poor bottom like me has paid $2,000 per night for two days before not to make mention of Nigerian president. The delegation is too large though.

1forall:
So it's a lie just because it's a large number? I sincerely hope that's not how you reason?


What's 'closely guarded and secretive' about a hotel booking, you think they're at Transcorp?

When are we Nigerians going to wake up?