As President
Goodluck Jonathan prepares for his August and September visits to the United
States, Nigerian-Americans are making robust preparations to meet him with
their plethora of demands, part of which is to give them a voice through voting
to determine the leadership of the country come 2015.
Also, a
groundswell of image laundering for the country has been carried out in the
last five weeks evidently to sell the President as a global brand who is ready
to steer the affairs of the country in the next four years after his first
tenure in office.
Jonathan is
billed to attend the African Leaders Summit August 4 to 6, convened by
President Barack Obama. He will be back in the US in September for the United
Nations General Assembly of heads of State as well as the conference on climate
change convened by UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon as part of a global effort
to mobilise action and ambition on climate change,
A town Hall
meeting in Atlanta has been scheduled to coincide with the President’s visit
according to Funmi Omosule, National Coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan
Leadership Centre, which prides itself as desirous of promoting and furthering
the projects, activities and programmes of the President, “as a progressive
first class world leader.”
Omosule said:
“The town hall meeting in USA for a Nigerian leader will be the first of its
kind since 1960. It is going to be very different from meetings with Nigerian
communities in Diaspora by past Presidents. This is going to be unique in a
way.”
Omosule said
preparations were at a very advanced stage adding, “The meeting will be the
first of its kind that will at last let Mr. President meet with a crop of
Nigerians in USA who can partner with him in a way to address the real Nigerian
problems.”
However, the
Chairman of the Council of Ogoni Professionals (COP International, USA), Mr.
Anslem D. John-Miller insists the President should use the opportunity of his
August visit to the United States to shed light on the progress being made by
Nigerian security operatives to release the Chibok Girls, halt further attacks
by Boko Haram as well as unmask the identities of politicians sponsoring the
deadly activities of the Boko Haram terrorist groups.
Said Miller
who recently addressed the US Congress on foreign Relations on environmental
degradation in Ogoniland and the devastating activities of the terrorist group:
“I also hope that Mr. President would seek technical and other forms of
assistance from the U.S. authorities on how to immediately clean up Ogoniland
and fully implement the UNEP Report on Ogoni.
“Despite our
misgivings, the Ogonis remain hopeful that being one of our own, that Mr.
President needs no lecture on the plight of the Ogonis but would do the right
thing and implement this important report because the lives of the Ogonis are
at stake and time is of the essence.”
But addressing an Igbo community in Dallas Texas last week, both Nigeria’s Consul-General in Atlanta, Ambassador Geoffrey Teneliabe and a director general of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign, Longers Anyanwu assured that government was aware of the need to give the Diaspora Nigerians an opportunity to vote sometime in the future, referring to an earlier call by INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, for an amendment of sections 77(2) and 117(2) of the 1999 Constitution to allow Nigerians in the Diaspora of voting age to participate in the 2015 elections
But addressing an Igbo community in Dallas Texas last week, both Nigeria’s Consul-General in Atlanta, Ambassador Geoffrey Teneliabe and a director general of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign, Longers Anyanwu assured that government was aware of the need to give the Diaspora Nigerians an opportunity to vote sometime in the future, referring to an earlier call by INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, for an amendment of sections 77(2) and 117(2) of the 1999 Constitution to allow Nigerians in the Diaspora of voting age to participate in the 2015 elections
Anyanwu who
said he had been touring the US and Europe to market the president’s image told
the kinsmen and the mixed gathering of well-wishers from different
nationalities, that President Jonathan is a good wine and needs minimum
advertisement.
“I can tell
you Nigerians where ever they are can hold on their own. In spite of the
pervading insecurity and negative publicity by the opposition, investors from
the international community are trooping in here to do business because our
score sheet with the World Bank, the IMF and international rating agencies
keeps soaring under Jonathan.
“Look at the
event that happened in Dallas last night; you saw the American flag standing
side by side the Nigerian flag with the Ambassador and Consular General flanked
by dignitaries who mean well for our country. That is an endorsement of the
Jonathan Administration.”
Also Diaspora Nigerians in America (DNA) whose mission is the upholding of Nigeria's constitution and the practice of democracy in the country, held a conference in New York tagged: Goodluck Jonathan Appreciation Day highlighting the achievements of the Jonathan administration in the areas of infrastructure, direct foreign investment, Nigeria as the leading economy in Africa and the war against Boko Haram among others.
Also Diaspora Nigerians in America (DNA) whose mission is the upholding of Nigeria's constitution and the practice of democracy in the country, held a conference in New York tagged: Goodluck Jonathan Appreciation Day highlighting the achievements of the Jonathan administration in the areas of infrastructure, direct foreign investment, Nigeria as the leading economy in Africa and the war against Boko Haram among others.
DNA
Chairman, Chika Onyeani who is also the Publisher and Editor-in-chief of
African Suntimes said the event brought together Nigerians from all walks of
life and throughout America in a global teleconference forum that the
participants deemed intellectually stimulating and educationally informative.
"More importantly, we believe that President Goodluck Jonathan has every right as a Nigerian to run for reelection in the 2015 Nigerian elections, if his party, the PDP,
decided that he should be their flag-bearer, and that Diaspora Nigerians in America would mobilize all its forces and resources in getting him re-elected," Onyeani said.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation held another rally on Boko Haram and Bring Back Our Girls in New Jersey as a follow to an earlier one held in front of the Nigerian Mission in New York.
According to the convener Dr. Akin Awofolaju, “we want to collaborate with the Nigerian government to resolve the issues of the on-going terrorist activities of Boko Haram.
"More importantly, we believe that President Goodluck Jonathan has every right as a Nigerian to run for reelection in the 2015 Nigerian elections, if his party, the PDP,
decided that he should be their flag-bearer, and that Diaspora Nigerians in America would mobilize all its forces and resources in getting him re-elected," Onyeani said.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation held another rally on Boko Haram and Bring Back Our Girls in New Jersey as a follow to an earlier one held in front of the Nigerian Mission in New York.
According to the convener Dr. Akin Awofolaju, “we want to collaborate with the Nigerian government to resolve the issues of the on-going terrorist activities of Boko Haram.
Awofolaju’s
NIDO had proposed a four-point agenda as a way forward in combating the
activities of the terrorist organization: “A law to be passed by the National
Assembly to convict any one found guilty of aiding and abetting Boko Haram in
any way; need to form a special task force excluding anyone with any form of
religious bias leaning in support of the fundamentalist group; A special
provision of $100,000.00 for the family of any member of the task force in the
event of an unforeseen disaster such as death; and that anyone who offers
useful information that leads to the arrest of a member of the group should be
rewarded with $5000.”
Awofolaju
added: “These people know where the Boko Haram members are and need to be
motivated with some kind of reward to reveal where these insurgents are.
Government should in addition to the US government’s offer of $7 million
dollars add $5 million dollars to anyone that can capture alive the Boko Haram
leader, Abubakar Shekau.”
Nigeria’s
Consular-General in New York Ambassador Habib Baba Habu added: “Nigerians must
join the government to show concern, whatever we have to do, whatever must be
done, has to be done to support the government which is standing between the
devil and the deep blue sea.
“A lot is
going on behind the veil, government is talking to them and using the
information it is gathering from different countries as inputs in combating
these terrorists.”
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Politics
Mr president, We wish you safe journey in advance. God is behinde you amen.
ReplyDeleteif it wia amechi it wud b loothing journey. JAH BLESS NIIGERIA
ReplyDeleteGod damage you in million folds. Ameachi is far better than this ogogoro man you call your president . He is a colossal failure to Niger Delta.
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