₦airaland Forum

This morning, I came across some ethically biased and hateful comments made by known government propagandists, Femi Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri, and Omoyele Sowore of Sahara Reporters, targeting Mr. Peter Obi over his recent visit to Rome. In response, I decided to personally reach out to Mr. @PeterObi, before he left Abuja.

Misleading headlines falsely claimed that Mr. @PeterObi refused "Bounced" to pay homage until the President intervened, despite Mr. Peter Obi himself clarified in a tweet that he didn’t meet the Pope as he only attended the Vatican inauguration ceremony. He had already made the purpose and nature of his visit clear. Every well-meaning Nigerian knows that Mr. Peter Obi has been a regular visitor to the Vatican for over 20 years and is a Papal Knight of the Catholic Church. Shockingly, the media didn’t even mention the distinguished individuals who accompanied him.

When I met him, he calmly said to me, “Mo, don’t bother about things like that.” He explained that the visit was similar to a previous one, including the inauguration of Pope Francis, which he attended in 2013.

When I pressed further, asking him to clarify, he told me plainly: “I bought my own ticket and traveled for what I believe is a personal, non-political trip, but people are trying to politicize it.” He emphasized that he flew economy class, saying, “It’s the difference between business class and economy that I use for donations to build classrooms.”

Surprised, I asked to see the ticket for a photo, and he obliged, though I know he may not have been pleased. But sometimes, it’s important to show the truth.

He explained: “I flew from Lagos to London on Air Peace. A Nigerian friend drove me from there to Heathrow, where I boarded a flight to Rome. I returned the same way, Rome to Heathrow, then back to Nigeria.”

He was very clear: he went on his own. Both Mr. @PeterObi and Dr. Kayode Fayemi had official passes that granted them access to the VIP section of the event.

As is his custom whenever he travels, Mr. @PeterObi made time to visit the elderly. I remember the last time I was with him in Washington, he visited Sylvester Ugo, a 90-year-old Nigerian.

On every trip to the Vatican, he visits Cardinal Francis Arinze. On this occasion, together with Dr. Fayemi, he again visited the Cardinal, a revered figure who has spent over 40 years in the Vatican and is now over 90 years old. They were driven with him and guided by protocol on where to sit.

They accompanied the Cardinal to the Vatican. Naturally, protocol required the Cardinal to use a separate entrance to prepare for the Mass, while lay guests were directed through a different route.

Let’s be honest: Where in the world do bishops and lay guests go through the same entrance at papal events? This is not rocket science; it’s standard protocol.

Enough of the lies. Enough of the propaganda. The truth has no tribe.

Mr. @PeterObi has since returned and resumed his visits to hospitals and schools, donating millions, and resources he could have easily spent on luxury travel. Instead of appreciating such integrity and sacrifice, some choose to insult him.

Rather than holding accountable those who squander taxpayers’ money, some are fixated on disparaging the one man who is actually making a difference.

-DrMo

naptu2:
It's childishness.

There are rules for international events (and even national events) and it often happens that people do not know the rules (because these events don't happen all the time). Quite often protocol officers have to show guests where they should sit, where they should go and they need to prevent guests from going to places that are reserved for certain people. There is no shame in it and it happens all the time.

However, Nigerians want to turn it into a big deal.

I have often told you about how Nigerians behave strangely when their leaders travel abroad. The inauguration of the Papacy of Leo the 14th is no different.

Firstly, some people made a big deal about the fact that President Tinubu sat in the front row while Peter Obi sat in the middle or at the back. There is nothing strange about it neither is it a big deal. President Tinubu is a head of state, while Peter Obi is not a government official. It's that simple.

Again, some are making a big deal about Seyi Tinubu's positioning when Bola Tinubu shook hands with the Pope. Some say he was bounced, etc. Nothing of the sort happened. Leaders went through a central channel and shook hands with the Pope, while their aides went through the side channel. The protocol officer was simply showing Seyi Tinubu that he should go through the side channel.

This often happens at the Aso Rock Villa (including when George Bush visited Nigeria). Presidents go in through the main doorway, while their aides go in through the side doors. Protocol officers often have to explain it to aides.


Francis Cardinal Arinze was the archbisbop of Onitsha for a long time before he was given positions at the Vatican. He and Peter Obi obviously know each other. Cardinal Arinze, Peter Obi and Kayode Fayemi were walking together and wanted to enter the Basilica. Protocol and security officers explained to them that only the Cardinal can enter through that entrance and other people (Obi and Fayemi) have to enter through a different entrance. There's nothing strange about that, but some people are claiming that Peter Obi was being smuggled in or that he pretended to be Cardinal Arinze's bag carrier and all kinds of things.

Why do Nigerians always do this when their leaders travel?

naptu2:
Now they are saying that Peter Obi was not allowed into the VVIP section.

That's not true and basic common sense will tell you that it is not true.

President Bola Tinubu sat in the VVIP section and I created a thread about an interaction between Tinubu, Obi and Fayemi. How did Obi get there if he wasn't allowed into the VVIP section? It doesn't make sense.

This is what really happened.

If you've ever been to an important mass in the Catholic Church, especially a mass at which there's a lot of clergy, then you'll now that places are reserved for the clergy.

Check out any wide angle photo or video of that mass and you'll see exactly what I am about to describe.

Cardinals sat together in a section, archbishops and bishops sat together in a section, priests sat together in a section, invited guests sat together in a section and other members of the public sat in a different section.

To the best of my knowledge Peter Obi and John Kayode Fayemi have not been ordained priests, neither have they been consecrated bishops or archbishops and they have not been made cardinals, so therefore, they cannot follow Cardinal Arinze into the section reserved for cardinals. They were simply shown to the section for invited guests.

If you check the photos on my thread, you'll see that Peter Obi and Kayode Fayemi sat at the middle or in the back of the VVIP section. That was the reason why they could see President Tinubu at the front and go and greet him.

naptu2:
One more thing (I almost got into that thread to start arguing, but I decided that it wasn't worth it).

Some people complained that Peter Obi wore black at the Mass. It is the protocol that you should wear black (or dark coloured clothes) when meeting the Pope at the Vatican. You can see that the Nigerian bishops (who usually wear white) are in black robes in these photos with Tinubu at the Vatican.

https://www.nairaland.com/8429943/nigeria-catholic-leaders-president-bola

naptu2:
It's a long piece, but the meat of the matter is that I was right.

Cardinal Arinze is a cardinal, he is a cleric. Obviously he would use a different entrance from lay people. It's like saying that someone who is not celebrating Mass wants to enter the church through the sacristy.

That does not mean that Peter Obi was bounced or that he was not invited.

Tochi3:


..muslims crying & wailing all over the social media on top of PO's name..

..those who snatched & grabbed for the MU-MU ticket has abandoned the mumu..& have concentrated on christianity..

..even the guru strategist..who claims to be a staunch advocates of mumu..is today fighting hard in italy to be recognized a Christian..

..when they finish deceiving themselves.. the mumu ticket coroner will discard his suits..& return back a muslim...

..a fake muslim who cannot recite the first stanza of the koran..a fake Christian who hires fake Bishops for political interest..

..a fake muslim..a fske Christian..with a mumu dispensation of mandate thieves..

muykem:
You didn't address the issue raised. We saw Peter Obi and cardinal Arinze discussing with protocol officers at gate. If you said cardinal and visitors enter through different gates then what's cardinal Arinze doing with Peter at that gates. Some other people were allowing going inside.

rinzaugustine:
Sowore is no longer interested in any goal for himself or party but now fixated with hate on a fellow presidential candidate who coincidentally is Igbo ( he is not interested in tinubu who he should have focused on as the president) and false bad news to report on his Sahara to tarnish ndigbo

rinzaugustine:
Sowore is no longer interested in any goal for himself or party but now fixated with hate on a fellow presidential candidate who coincidentally is Igbo ( he is not interested in tinubu who he should have focused on as the president) and false bad news to report on his Sahara to tarnish ndigbo

kettykin:
The pope is an American citizen but the president of America who happens to be a devout Christian was in the middle east with middle east leaders. The question is should president Tinubu have gone to Rome or sent a delegation, this is pure misplaced priorities