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.

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.

Hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahah

This is is biggest joke i've heard in a long time.

Dude thinks America, Obama and other countries give a flying rats ass whether anyone from Nigeria made it to the UN summit.

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

This is a remarkable study on how to look foolish. Does Yar Adua think that reward comes from shamelessly displaying the attributes of a weakling?

Even Gadaffi who had only bullshit to sell, went to the UN and gave the West his bullshit. . . He and his country are more respected than Yar Adua and his new Nigeria. Give it one more year and Mugabe's Zimbabwe will be vying for higher stakes than us.

The World is giving us the last chance for self redemption, but look at how stupidly we have gone about worsening things. Dropping bombs on "fellow citizens", whose area the country is 100% reliant on; "electing" known criminals to power (e.g. Tinubu, an inernationally known drug baron). Our Atorney General runs all over the World to confound criminal cases against powerful Nigerians with the full power of the Nigerian state.

We are a laughable country, even other Africans see us as a joke.

Beaf:

This is a remarkable study on how to look foolish. Does Yar Adua think that reward comes from shamelessly displaying the attributes of a weakling?

Even Gadaffi who had only bullshit to sell, went to the UN and gave the West his bullshit. . . He and his country are more respected than Yar Adua and his new Nigeria. Give it one more year and Mugabe's Zimbabwe will be vying for higher stakes than us.

The World is giving us the last chance for self redemption, but look at how stupidly we have gone about worsening things. Dropping bombs on "fellow citizens", whose area the country is 100% reliant on; "electing" known criminals to power (e.g. Tinubu, an inernationally known drug baron). Our Atorney General runs all over the World to confound criminal cases against powerful Nigerians with the full power of the Nigerian state.

We are a laughable country, even other Africans see us as a joke.

I owe you one bottle of beer! Correct analysis

Its just a cover up now,we all know y the president didnt got for the UN meeting.The man is sick and needs urgent medical attention,nd its not news that his doctors are in saudi arabia.Did u not know that the president was not even welcomed at the airport by anyone from the emirate of saudi arabia cos dem no dey expect the man for dem skl opening then,and dat was the story his media men kept telling nigerians.
Anytime i see dat man i feel like crying for him,but his wife is just enjoying it all.Dog dey sweat oh,na im plenty hair dey cover am.
Mumu diplomats

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!

Besides am not impressed ooooo, if yaradua wants to show Obama, he should ban american products in nigeria, send the american embassy and companies packing, and stop Nigerian businesses from trading with the dollar.

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.

meine:


Besides am not impressed ooooo, if yaradua wants to show Obama, he should ban american products in nigeria, send the american embassy and companies packing, and stop Nigerian businesses from trading with the dollar.

hehehehehe, i no fit laugh, wen Naija sneezes the world trembles. Typical when serious leaders are trying to free themselves from the grip of the US

‘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.

Not attending the UN session cannot be classified as a diplomatic snub of the US becuase it was UN event and not a US event. It just so happens that the UN HQ is in New York. Some Naija reps daft sha. Is it illiteracy or ignorance?

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?

We're back to the Sanni Abacha's era of personal prestige over the nation's welfare.
The presidents advisers are stupid, but the president is even more retarded. If he wanted to protest Obama's action he would have attended the UN general assembly with other heads of states, promoted Nigeria's image and interest, and then give "diplomatic" reasons why he had no time to meet with Obama personally.
There goes Ibrahim Gambari's effort and push to make Nigeria one of the permenent security council members.
This is a mistake of historical proportion

nuzo:

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. . .

sowura:

hehehehehe, i no fit laugh, wen Naija sneezes the world trembles. Typical when serious leaders are trying to free themselves from the grip of the US

YES  OOOO, when Nigerian sneezes AMERICA must catch cold oooo. Nija 4 life.

Tell it to the birds.

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!

Let see how this their decision will benefit us in Long run, if they eventually go on that.

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

Well, i think there is immaturity among our diplomats and i don't really fancy the Honourable's speech; but Nairalanders to be very frank with us, when it comes to peacekeeping, Nigeria's efforts are NOT being given due appreciation and that's not exclusive to the U.S but to other "world powers" (as they are called) except to an extent, Russia. Yes, a few other non "world powers" come close to the world powers in terms of ingratitude like S.A.
Pls don't let your hatred for the Nigerian state becloud your reasoning because indeed many of our brothers have sacrificed their lives for peacekeeping over a very very long time. See how the U.S and NATO forces are praised for their efforts, Nigeria ranks 5th(from the last time i read about it) in peacekeeping world-over and 1st in Africa, we deserve more appreciation and i couldn't agree more with the Honourable on that point.
Just as Christ said "greater love has no man than this: giving his life for his friend". Just on that singular point, Nigeria's sacrifice should cover a multitude of shortfalls.
THAT IS MY HUMBLE OPINION. I REST MY CASE.

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

@Gentle4lyf  All that one na story. nobody force us send troops. That is not a measure for competent leadership nor as we have seen for reliable international recognision. Your international respect is determined by how capable you are at solving and managing the problems at home. Your house is burning and you are putting someone elses fire out. At that point they will praise you, later they will laugh at you as the case is with Nigeria.

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!!!!

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Honourable Wole Oke, yesterday said " America is only after its own interest"


na today u just dey knw? You will still get to know the reason they labeled some Islamic religious groups as terrorists and try to impose Christianity and western life on them !, The great one FELA said "one day you self go gree with me to dey act the way i dey feel nw" Stop exporting our goddies to yankee and see what they will do next!

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"

unbelievable!!!! but I'm not surprised the least.

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

Another foolish attempt by Yar'adua's cronies to justify the unjustifiable. We all know the man went for medical treatment in Saudi, The school opening was just a ruse. His name was not even on the list of guest of honour at the school opening ceremony.

This fools should stop messing the country's international relations. What has refusing to attend a UN summit got to do with Obama and US when they have better things to do with their time.

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.

Naija is just too funny, President get beef with US President? so why dint go to UN summit to iron it out.

At least that should be his only opportunity of seeing the president face 2 face

Na wah for naija.