President Buhari Cancels Trip to Niger Republic
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday canceled his scheduled trip to Niger Republic. His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publi...
https://newshelmng.blogspot.com/2017/12/president-buhari-cancels-trip-to-niger.html
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday canceled his scheduled trip to Niger Republic.
His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,
had announced on Sunday that Buhari would join some world leaders for
the 59th Proclamation of the Republic of Niger ceremony in Tahoua,
Niger.
Shehu had said Buhari, alongside the Presidents of Mali, Burkina
Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger, would participate in the event held on
December 18 of every year to commemorate the founding of the Republic
of Niger and creation of the Presidency.
“After the ceremony, the Nigerian leader will hold bilateral
meetings with some of his counterparts before returning to Abuja same
day.
“President Buhari will be accompanied on the trip by Governors
Aminu Masari, Ibrahim Gaidam and Kashim Shettima of Katsina, Yobe and
Borno States respectively,” the statement had read.
But Buhari did not embark on the trip on Monday as scheduled.
Shehu, however, explained that the President canceled the trip
because he felt satisfied that he had had useful discussions with
President Mahamadou Issoufou in the course of the weekend meeting of the
Economic Community of West African States in Abuja.
He added that after a telephone discussion with Issoufou on Sunday
evening, Buhari decided to send the three governors of Katsina, Yobe and
Borno States as well as the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs to
represent him.
The presidential spokesman said, “The event to which the President was invited is the celebration of the 59th year of the country’s independence.
“Niger invited the leaders of neighboring states: the Presidents of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Nigeria.
“President Buhari felt satisfied that he had had useful
discussions with his friend and brother, President Mahamadou Issoufou,
in the course of the weekend meeting in Abuja, of the Economic Community
of West African States.
“After a phone call last (Sunday) night, between the leaders,
President Buhari decided to send a delegation made up of the three
governors of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States along with the Minister of
State, Foreign Affairs to represent him.”
