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Ojo Maduekwe Masterminded Yar’Adua’s Visit to US Seyi Oduyela/Washington, DC
Facts are beginning to emerge on how President Umar Yar’Adua came to visit the United States of America. African Interest investigation revealed that Mr. Ojo Maduekwe, Foreign Affairs Minister arranged the visit as part of PR package for Yar’Adua. Sources at the Nigerian Embassy in US disclosed that Maduekwe had hired a lobbyist to help launder the Yar’Adua government’s image as a result of the outcome of the April 2007 elections.
Mr. Maduekwe, our source said, arranged the visit without the knowledge of the Nigerian President. Presidency sources disclosed that Yar’Adua was not properly briefed by the Nigerian Embassy staff on the agenda of the meeting with President George Bush. Embassy sources heard Mr. Segun Adeniyi, Presidential Adviser on Communication complaining of how the whole visit was handled.
In a bid to make amend, President Yar’Adua’s team quickly arranged an interview for him at the Voice of America, Hausa service. It was at the Voice of America that President Yar’Adua denied ever declaring support for AFRICOM but unfortunately for the Nigerian President and his team of advisers, his address to the press at the White House was on tape and has been posted on www.nigeriavillagesquare.com
On Friday night at 11.30pm, in his Ritz Carlton Hotel room in Washington DC, Mr. Maduekwe summoned Ms. Constance Ikoku of ThisDay, News Agency of Nigeria Reporter and Mr. Sunny Ofili. According to sources at the midnight briefing, Maduekwe expressed his disappointment at the choice of headline used by the ThisDay reporter and said that she should have confirmed from him before she filed the story. It was at the Nigerian embassy on Saturday that they agreed to issue a press statement. A source at the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC told African Interest that Mr. Sunny Ofili was asked to distribute the press release. According to the Press statement, signed by Mr. Maduekwe, the Foreign Affairs Minister, instead of the Special Adviser to the President on Communication stated that “President Yar’Adua’s statement on the proposed AFRICOM is consistent with Nigeria’s well-known position on the necessity for Africa to avail itself of opportunities for enhanced capacity for the promotion of peace and security in Africa; “Nigeria’s position on AFRICOM remains that African Governments have the sovereign responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security in the continent, especially in the context of the proposed African Union Stand-by Force and “In this regard, the need for support and assistance by Africa’s development partners, such as the United States, in the provision of training, funding and logistics for African militaries was duly acknowledged.” The statement concluded.
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