The Presidency has mocked the
Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, over President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to
Japan.
Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media
and Publicity, Femi Adesina described the conduct of IPOB members in Tokyo,
Japan as “shameful.”
The President had arrived in
Japan on Monday, ahead of the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African
Development (TICAD 7).
Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu had
ordered his followers in Japan to ensure they arrest Buhari and hand him over
to security agents because he is an impostor.
However, Adesina described IPOB
as a distraction Buhari has no time for.
According to Adesina, the
Presidency was never worried about the threats from “a fringe and shadowy
group, long outlawed in Nigeria, to cause commotion, and embarrass President
Muhammadu Buhari and his team”.
In a post on his Facebook page,
Adesina wrote: “When we arrived Yokohama on Monday, among questions I was asked
by Nigerian media here was whether the Presidency was worried by threats from a
fringe and shadowy group, long outlawed in Nigeria, to cause commotion, and
embarrass President Muhammadu Buhari and his team.
“I waved the question aside,
saying we were in Japan for serious business. Well, the serious business began
today, Wednesday, August 28.
“The less said about members of
that proscribed group, the better. In paroxysm of pain and frustration, they
had shot a video at the home of the Nigerian Ambassador to Tokyo, threatening
to ‘allest’ and ‘tly’ their own father, with Japanese police ‘coplating.’
Shameful and ridiculous for every right thinking Nigerian.
“To underscore the scant
attention we paid to it all, not a word was said about the group when the President
received briefings on activities for the day, early in the morning of
Wednesday. It was time for serious business, I say again, and nobody had time
for any distraction.
There was a photo session that
preceded the actual opening ceremony of TICAD 7.
“When we went to town with it,
the Internet almost exploded. Some people had alleged that President Buhari was
not in Japan, and those pictures showed them as not worthy of being believed.
They were simply laughed to scorn.
But enough of them! Back to
serious business.
“On opening day, 21 African
presidents had arrived, with more expected. They were from Nigeria, Sierra
Leone, Madagascar, Djibouti, Angola, Namibia, Liberia, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Rwanda, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Togo, Niger, Ghana,
South Africa, Mali, Zambia, and Senegal.
Vice Presidents came from Malawi
and Gambia, Prime Minister from Cote D’Ivoire, while the Prime Minister of
Ethiopia was being expected, on his way from South Korea.
“TICAD 7 had obviously began with
a roaring start.
At the end of proceedings on
Friday, the conference will come out with ‘Yokohama Declaration 2019’ and
‘Yokohama Plan of Action.’ President Buhari will make worthy inputs on Thursday
and Friday.
“Hitting the ground running, our
President held bilateral sessions today with Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa of
South Africa, and Patrice Talon of Benin Republic. Before the conference ends,
he will still meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, the European Union,
Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of United Nations, and many big Japanese
conglomerates. I tell you, your President is in much demand here.
“Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was on
hand to receive all his guests. Didn’t some people bellyache that he was away
at G7 meeting in France, when African leaders were congregating in his country?
To such people, I simply say, don’t be hypercritical. You lose face in the end.
“Do not be doubting, but believing.” That’s what the Good Book says.
“Plenary sessions begin tomorrow,
full blast. Issues to be covered Thursday and Friday include economic
transformation and improvements in business environment, promotion of resilient
and sustainable African society for human security, peace and stability in
support of Africa’s domestic proactive efforts,and many others.
“Keep a date with Japan File, and
you will get a lowdown of tomorrow’s events. And of Friday’s, as God gives
grace. No shaking.”
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