Jonathan Shuns Nigerians in U.S
- By Williams Ekanem
- Published June 13th, 2011
- News
- Unrated
Nigerians living in the United States who were anxious to hear from President Goodluck Jonathan on how he plans to deliver on his campaign promises during his four-day visit to the U.S. last week were disappointed as the president did not speak to any group of Nigerians.
Arriving the U.S. barely one week after his inauguration for the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, the president concentrated on the UN programme, meeting with President Barack Obama, the Clinton Initiative Programme as well as meeting with lobbyists for political offices who took the next flight from Nigeria to Plaza Hotel, New York, where he stayed.
Inside sources from the entourage of the president, which included his wife Patience and two state governors said although the president would have loved to speak to Nigerians, the people in charge of travel planning at the Nigerian Mission and Embassy were not favourably disposed to the idea.
Onyemechi Joshua, a Nigerian and shipping professional based in Maryland, who spoke the mind of many Nigerians in the U.S. said, “If it were before the elections, Jonathan would have met with Nigerians no matter how tight his schedule but now that the elections are over, that urge to meet us has disappeared.”
This was the view of some other Nigerians who called this reporter to enquire about the venue and time of the expected meeting that never held.
BusinessWorld findings at the hotel where the president stayed show that whatever little time off the President may have had from the UN activities must have been spent on attending to the avalanche
Arriving the U.S. barely one week after his inauguration for the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, the president concentrated on the UN programme, meeting with President Barack Obama, the Clinton Initiative Programme as well as meeting with lobbyists for political offices who took the next flight from Nigeria to Plaza Hotel, New York, where he stayed.
Inside sources from the entourage of the president, which included his wife Patience and two state governors said although the president would have loved to speak to Nigerians, the people in charge of travel planning at the Nigerian Mission and Embassy were not favourably disposed to the idea.
Onyemechi Joshua, a Nigerian and shipping professional based in Maryland, who spoke the mind of many Nigerians in the U.S. said, “If it were before the elections, Jonathan would have met with Nigerians no matter how tight his schedule but now that the elections are over, that urge to meet us has disappeared.”
This was the view of some other Nigerians who called this reporter to enquire about the venue and time of the expected meeting that never held.
BusinessWorld findings at the hotel where the president stayed show that whatever little time off the President may have had from the UN activities must have been spent on attending to the avalanche
