Fayose, Wike out of NGF delegation to president
By Abdullahi M. Gulloma Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has written to thank the President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, for the nationwide prayers held last week by Guineans for his quick recovery, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has said. In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, Adesina said the President made the commendation in a letter dated July 24, 2017, and addressed to Conde, who is the current chairman of the Assemblies of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
Th e statement read in part: “President Muhammadu Buhari has written to thank the President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, for the nationwide prayers held last week by Guineans for his recovery and good health. “In a letter dated July 24, 2017, President Buhari, who had earlier made a phone call to Conde, who is the current Chairman of the Assemblies of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, stated: ‘I thank you for your kind and thoughtful action in organising nationwide prayers for my good health.
“It is a gesture that I will forever cherish and treasure. Your Excellency will be pleased to hear that I am making good progress, and as soon as doctors advise, I shall return to my duties and continue serving the Nigerian people who elected me and are daily praying for my recovery.” Adesina said the President, had, in an earlier letter, also accepted his nomination as leader of the “2018 AU Th eme on the Fight Against Corruption,” which came from African leaders at the 29th Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 4, 2017.
“While thanking you for the kind words and for the nomination, I wish to express my readiness to accept this new important role and to reiterate my commitment to contribute towards our collective eff orts to strengthen good governance and development on the continent. I, therefore, look forward to working closely with you in the realisation of this objective,” the statement quoted the President as saying. Fayose, Wiike not on UK trip Meanwhile, President Buhari would today meet with seven representatives of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in London, United Kingdom.
Th is was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Garba Shehu. “Th e visit is a goodwill visit and there is nothing more than that. Th ey will leave tonight, arrive tomorrow and meet President Buhari by 3pm tomorrow,” he said. Sheu said the team drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country would be led by NGF Chairman, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state.
Th e governors are Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state, Kashim Shettima of Borno state, Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state and Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo state. Asked why Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state and that of Rivers were in the delegation, Shehu said the selection was done by the governors’ forum and not the federal government. On why the President was yet to address Nigerians, but receiving delegations in London, Shehu said “it’s a question of what he prefers and if he opts for the address option, he will do so.”
