[size=14pt]Nigeria summit underwhelms, stirs controversy at home[/size]
Mon Jun 28, 2010 5:06pm GMT 
Joe Brock

LONDON (Reuters) - Nigeria's last-minute decision to scale down a massive delegation due at a business summit in London on Monday may have appeased some critics at home but it left foreign investors less than delighted.

President Goodluck Jonathan had been expected to lead dozens of ministers, state governors and government officials to the conference, where they were due to address issues from bank and power sector reforms to eradicating counterfeit drugs.

But Jonathan and most of the delegation pulled out amid criticism of profligacy over the planned trip, which would have come days after he returned from a G20 summit in Toronto.

"The president was in Canada and he was supposed to come to London on the 30th and meet the prime minister (David Cameron) on the 1st (of July), but that meeting was resolved in Canada so there was no need to come here," said Works and Housing Minister Sanusi Daggash, one of the few ministers to come.

Some investors who attended the event, billed as Nigeria's Golden Jubilee Summit to mark 50 years of independence from Britain, were unimpressed.

"It's a massive disappointment," said one European investment banker, who asked not to be named.

"They've got to realise that they're not the only boys on the block. This week I'll hear from Turkey, Indonesia all competing for money and it's only the ones who do the very best who win the prizes," he said.

Jonathan, who is widely expected to seek re-election in polls due by next April and is sensitive to public opinion, had been billed as the keynote speaker. Oil Minister Diezani Allison-Madueke had been due to speak on the outlook for Nigeria's mainstay oil and gas industry.

"It's pretty embarrassing for the Nigerians that no one has come," said an independent Middle Eastern investor.
However, the Nigeria Labour Congress described the plans to send such a large delegation to London as a "national disgrace".

Presidential adviser Barth Nnaji outlined plans to improve regulation of the domestic power sector while credit ratings agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch gave their views on the outlook for the banking sector.

"Nigeria has to compete with other markets to source their capital. Legal certainty, policy certainty, communication is critical in attracting international capital," said Mark Young, Managing Director of Financial Institutions at Fitch.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE65R0WO20100628?sp=true

. . .And Nigeria's never ending journey through stone age ways of doing things.

Beaf as usual always in haste to defend jonathan.by the way,what has that got to do with the larger percentage of nigerians that opposed the idea.we should start regretting now because oyibos are angry with the small party he took along.

Beaf:

LONDON (Reuters) - Nigeria's last-minute decision to scale down a massive delegation due at a business summit in London on Monday may have appeased some critics at home but it left foreign investors less than delighted.

President Goodluck Jonathan had been expected to lead dozens of ministers, state governors and government officials to the conference, where they were due to address issues from bank and power sector reforms to eradicating counterfeit drugs.

"It's pretty embarrassing for the Nigerians that no one has come," said an independent Middle Eastern investor.
However, the Nigeria Labour Congress described the plans to send such a large delegation to London as a "national disgrace".

hhhmmm . . .  so how many people actually went with him and who were they? Is it that the president left the important folks behind and took with him the follow-follows?

Could the ministers and governors not go out on their own time to meet with these investors? Or did it all have to happen at this particular summit? I mean what about the allowances we pay them for travel and hosting these same investors?

Do other countries rush out with all the governors and ministers as well or na only naija suppose do that one?

"It's pretty embarrassing for the Nigerians that no one has come," said an independent Middle Eastern investor.
However, the Nigeria Labour Congress described the plans to send such a large delegation to London as a "national disgrace".

Sorry mate, they've gone to the estate agents viewing choice properties for their girlfriends

middle eastern investor me a$$

Dis Guy:

Sorry mate, they've gone to the estate agents viewing choice properties for their girlfriends

middle eastern investor me a$$

rotflmao

Kobojunkie:

hhhmmm . . .  so how many people actually went with him and who were they? Is it that the president left the important folks behind and took with him the follow-follows?

Could the ministers and governors not go out on their own time to meet with these investors? Or did it all have to happen at this particular summit? I mean what about the allowances we pay them for travel and hosting these same investors?

Do other countries rush out with all the governors and ministers as well or na only naija suppose do that one?

well said,over to beaf.

are they!!!

@ topic

~Bluetooth:

rotflmaowell said,over to beaf.

Do you really think I should answer to those shockingly daft questions?
First of all, if kobojunkie by his own admission, doesn't know who was on the Presidents entourage, by what magic can he infer that it was made up of ministers and governors? Thats like market womens gossip and cheap rumour mongering.
I won't attend to daft insinuations, thank you.

Talk about not reading your the very article you started your own thread with . . .

Beaf:

[size=13pt] President Goodluck Jonathan had been expected to lead dozens of ministers, state governors and government officials to the conference, [/size] where they were due to address issues from bank and power sector reforms to eradicating counterfeit drugs.

Beaf:

Do you really think I should answer to those shockingly daft questions?
First of all, if kobojunkie by his own admission, doesn't know who was on the Presidents entourage, by what magic can he infer that it was made up of ministers and governors? Thats like market womens gossip and cheap rumour mongering.
I won't attend to daft insinuations, thank you.

what  i'm more concerned is the number of people that followed him and stop being naive about the calibre of people that followed.everybody knows that the entourage of the president is made up of governors,ministers and senators among others which do not include market women.just be objective and answer the question.

~Bluetooth:

what i'm more concerned is the number of people that followed him and stop being naive about the calibre of people that followed.everybody knows that the entourage of the president is made up of governors,ministers and senators among others which do not include market women.just be objective and answer the question.

Maybe you should try to become an Ifa priest, since you have the remote control to the pen that writes invitations in Aso Rock. I don't do cheap rumour.

~Bluetooth:

Beaf as usual always in haste to defend jonathan.by the way,what has that got to do with the larger percentage of nigerians that opposed the idea.we should start regretting now because oyibos are angry with the small party he took along.

Of course, in the rumour mongers World, merely posting an article for discussion amounts to "defending Jonathan". Na wa!

Beaf:

Maybe you should try to become an Ifa priest, since you have the remote control to the pen that writes invitations in Aso Rock. I don't do cheap rumour.

can you tell me the objective of this post and how it countered a former report we heard before that jonathan would be travelling to G8 summit as an observer with 200 delegates.is that report correct ? If it's not,can you tell the people that makes the entourage of a state governor and that of the president.if you dont know,you may wish to learn,please.

~Bluetooth:

can you tell me the objective of this post and how it countered a former report we heard before that jonathan would be travelling to G8 summit as an observer with 200 delegates.is that report correct ? If it's not,can you tell the people that makes the entourage of a state governor and that of the president.if you dont know,you may wish to learn,please.

Why are you assuming it is a counter to anything? Have I told you my mind (or you are really an Ifa high priest that knows the unknown)? Is it possible to have an objective discussion with you?

Simple example, xterra2 has a negative view of the trip, but has put his views across very constructively; there is no attacking the messenger or rumour mongering or other none-essential stuff. Learn to do the same.

Abeg!

in my above post i meant 38 not 380

ROFLMAO!!!!


And here I was actually holding out hope for some meaningful response even after discovering he did not even read the article before concluding that OYIBO's ARE SAD!!!

paddy_lo:

@Beaf

It wasnt the G8 summit. . it was a planned Investment summit in london. . .pls edit your title

Thanks, its sorted.

Kobojunkie:

Talk about not reading your the very article you started your own thread with . . .

The article merely speculated.
Did the Presidency tell you who was to be in the London trip? Anything short of that is guesswork, assumption or worse, rumour mongering. Educated people shouldn't play shuch games.

Abegii, in my own opinion, i dont trust these oyibos at all and let them all go siddon.
Those who have the money and willing to invest will come on their own and make maximum profit from the economy whether we go there or not jare. Come to think of it, how many of these foreign companies presently in naija were wooed before they came? Companies want to make profits and they (some though) will do anything within and outside the laws of to make such. Despite the fact that the Naija Delta region is a delicate region in terms of security, we still av foreign establishments there making their profit. Abegii, let them all siddon jare.

Beaf:

Why are you assuming it is a counter to anything? Have I told you my mind (or you are really an Ifa high priest that knows the unknown)? Is it possible to have an objective discussion with you?

Simple example, xterra2 has a negative view of the trip, but has put his views across very constructively; there is no attacking the messenger or rumour mongering or other none-essential stuff. Learn to do the same.

Abeg!

Beaf:

The article merely speculated.
Did the Presidency tell you who was to be in the London trip? Anything short of that is guesswork, assumption or worse, rumour mongering. Educated people shouldn't play shuch games.

oh the article speculated and you still went ahead and post it because it suits a part of you.if you believe the part that tells us that the oyinbos are sad,then you should be ready to believe other parts also.

@ all,

we need to examine the most important phrase in this text 'Jonathan, who is widely expected to seek re-election in polls due by next April and is sensitive to public opinion, '

It is obvious this man is only trying to do anything to retain himself for another 4 years, and has thrown every other thing to the wind. If they had investors on their agenda, why the heck would he chicken out because some people are talking? Why doesn't he put out a statement on what the trip is for and justify it; he has a media spokesperson afterall.

All they needed to do was reduce their 10 assistants to 4 and move on. If nigerians want proof, take NTA with you and let them beam the signals to us to show that it is not all jamboree but also good business - but HRH GEJ wants to be the goodie goodie listening president - naivety at its best; this man doesnot deserve to be president! Bet you all this would not happen after May 2011.

Beaf:

The article merely speculated.
Did the Presidency tell you who was to be in the London trip? Anything short of that is guesswork, assumption or worse, rumour mongering. Educated people shouldn't play shuch games.

ROFLMAO!!!

Oh!! now the article which you have BASED your silly reasoning on  only SPECULATED?? ROFLMAO!!!

I am sorry but this is getting unbelievably ridiculous. You posted the article, without taking time to READ IT YOURSELF. Now I post questions on what is CONTAINED IN THE ARTICLE, you jump to claim the article merely speculated, but you go ahead to state that anything short of what it says is guess work and what not? ROFLMAO!!!

Ogbeni, what the heck are you on? ROFLMAO!!