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| President Muhammadu Buhari |
President Muhammadu
Buhari will on Monday (today) embark on yet another round of foreign trips that
will take him to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The
Punch report continues:
This
time, Buhari, who returned to Nigeria on Saturday from Egypt where he
participated in the Business for Africa, Egypt and the World Forum, will be
away for about one week.
According
to the President’s itinerary released by his Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Sunday, Buhari will first fly to Riyadyh for
talks with King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and senior officials of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The
talks will hold on Tuesday.
Adesina
disclosed further that ongoing efforts by Nigeria and other members of the Organization
of Petroleum Exporting Countries to achieve greater stability in the price of
crude oil exports are expected to be on the agenda of discussions between
Buhari and the Saudi monarch.
The
President will be accompanied by a high-powered Federal Government delegation,
including the Minister of State (Petroleum) and Group Managing Director of the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
Adesina
said that crude oil prices and market stability would also be on the
front-burner when Buhari holds talks on Sunday with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The
statement added, “The President is also scheduled to meet with leading Saudi
and Qatari businessmen in Riyadh and Doha, and invite them to support his
administration’s efforts to revamp the Nigerian economy by taking advantage of
the great investment opportunities currently available in Nigeria’s mining,
agriculture, power supply, infrastructure, transportation, communications and
other sectors.
“President
Buhari’s other engagements in Saudi Arabia include meetings with heads of
international financial organizations and multilateral associations.
“Before
going on to Doha, the President will also visit Medina and Mecca to pray for
greater peace, prosperity and progress in Nigeria.”
Buhari
has been roundly criticized for embarking on foreign trips too often.
He
has so far this year visited Benin Republic, United Arab Emirates, Kenya,
Ethiopia, France, London and Egypt.
It
will be recalled that the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, had asked
Buhari to stay at home and govern the country, instead of junketing from one
country to the other.
Fayose
had said that the President’s incessant foreign trips were already bleeding the
economy, with about US$1m spent per trip.
But
Buhari said he did not know how Fayose arrived at the figure he gave.
While
answering questions from some Nigerian journalists in London shortly before he
commenced a six-day vacation, the President said contrary to the claims by
critics of his incessant foreign trips, none of the trips he had made so far
could be said to be frivolous.
He
said there were always political and economic justifications for any trip he
made.
He
added that those who were not on the same page with him on the matter were free
to disagree and say whatever they like while his government would continue to
give them appropriate response.
Buhari
said, “Every of my trip can be politically – or economically-assessed. I recall
that the first trip I had was to go to Chad and Niger. The trip was mainly
because of Nigeria’s security.
“We
campaigned based on three issues – security, economy (employment) and
corruption. The G-7 invited me to Germany. After that, I went to Cameroon. I
then went to the United Nations General Assembly.
“I
have not made any frivolous journey. I understand that the Governor of Ekiti
State (Fayose) said that every trip I make costs Nigeria at least US$1m. I do
not know how he worked that out but every trip that I have made, there must be
economic and political reasons that justified them.
“Those who do not see it
the way the government sees it have the right not to agree and say whatever
they like. But we will try and give them the appropriate reply.”
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