President Goodluck Jonathan had one of the most outsized
delegation when he went to the United Nations General
Assembly in the United States, drawing up personalities
apparently irrelevant for the meeting, with likely cost
implications in several millions if not billions of naira.
Several members of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party for instance, joined the train
to New York, so much that the party halted its
activities since Monday.
On Tuesday, reporters also confirmed several ex-militant leaders,
and known supporters of the president, and several others are
presently in the United States for the same mission.
"I can tell you everyone I called today are in New York," an
associate of President Jonathan said. "Several ex-militants are
also there, although there are claims they paid their way there."
The source, who did not want to be named out of concern the
disclosure he made might anger Mr. Jonathan, gave some names
of militants he said travelled to New York with the President. We
are withholding the names because we could not independently
verify them as at the time of filing this report.
{read_more}
The sidekicks that accompanied the president are separate from
the nearly a dozen ministers travelling with Mr Jonathan, several
aides, hangers on with clearly no relevance to the trip.
Mr. Jonathan has managed to build a notorious reputation for
travelling for international events with huge entourages that often
put him up for stinging criticisms since taking office in 2010.
That year, the president reportedly travelled with 120 people to
New York. In February 2013, officials who travelled with the
president for an African Union meeting in Ethiopia, averaged 200,
making the Nigerian delegation the largest to the meeting.
When concerns flared again this time about his team to the
current UN meeting, with allegations that as many as 600 may
have travelled with the president to New York, the presidency
scrambled a denial, saying those who travelled officially with the
president were less than 30.
The response, in a statement issued by spokesperson, Reuben
Abati, however admitted more people were in New York but said
they were "for their own purposes". "We are certainly aware that
many Nigerian citizens are currently on visits to New York.
These persons are here for their own purposes and neither
President Jonathan nor his administration has any responsibility
for the presence of these persons in New York," Mr. Abati said.
He said those include Nigerian businessmen for "an African
Business Roundtable event, members of non-governmental
organizations and tourists".
Sources could however not ascertain the exact number of those
who travelled with the president this time. But our reporters who
visited PDP headquarters on Monday and Tuesday confirmed
several party members were on the trip.
All events were accordingly suspended at the party office.
Presidency sources also confirmed former militant leaders who
since become loyalists of the president, were on the trip.
So awkward was the Nigerian team accompanying Mr. Jonathan
that at the president's meeting with Mr Obama on Monday, the
ministers were left standing by the sides, apparently as seating
arrangements were not made for the large number.



http://m.naij.com/news/48097.html

no mind abati n his lies.

Useless news. From a useless source.

Tinubu's journalism

gramci: Tinubu's journalism

coming from op am not surprised

Berem!berem!Berem!How many times did I call Ɣ☺u?
Stop wallowing in delusion.Soon Ɣ☺u will ask me not
to attack the messenger but the message.Anu ohia.

We don hear, Abeg talk another thing? People just dey create useless threads for this NL and MOD is just there watching,without actions.

Orile IDE awon omoluabi cannot come fast enough.

Shameless government.

idumuose: Berem!berem!Berem!How many times did I call Ɣ☺u?
Stop wallowing in delusion.Soon Ɣ☺u will ask me not
to attack the messenger but the message.Anu ohia.