The Nation Newspaper

Tag: PRESIDENCY

  • Presidency: Osinbajo is executing Buhari’s policies

    Presidency: Osinbajo is executing Buhari’s policies

    ‘Opposition trying to cause division between President and his vice’

    The Presidency  yesterday described those hailing Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and criticising President Muhammadu Buhari as enemies of the government who are trying to create division between the two topmost state officials.
    President Buhari has been on vacation in the United Kingdom since January 19. He is also undergoing medical tests. Vice President Osinbajo has been acting for him.
    Some Nigerians have been commenting on the situation in the country since Osinbajo started acting for his boss, claiming that things are better.
    But Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters Babafemi Ojudu said Nigerians were seeing results of the policies introduced by the government, under the same Presidency.
    He said Prof. Osinbajo consults with President Buhari and that since it is a joint ticket, all achievements should go to the government.
    According to him, without Buhari, Osinbajo would not have been acting president.
    He said: “I think it is thoughtless. I also see it as a ploy by the opposition to cause an unnecessary  division. It is a joint ticket; the president and the vice president were elected based on the manifesto of the party and since they were sworn in they have been committed to implementing that manifesto.
    “The same people who said we never had economic team, no policy, nothing, are the ones saying this. It is now that the policies we are implementing are maturing and they are seeing the result. It is not a question of one person being better than the other person.
    “I will give you an example. There is nothing that has been done since the vice president started acting that is not something that started far back in the past. A good example is the Niger Delta initiative. The President called the vice president and said I am giving you the mandate, go into the Niger Delta, meet with everyone who is a stakeholder, all the communities, talk to the militants and make sure you solve this problem for the benefit of Nigerians.
    “We are losing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day; all the gas pipelines powering the turbines are being blown up. And the President has said unless and until we resolve this problem, we will not get out of recession. The vice president took up the mandate and went to the Niger Delta. It is the initiative of Mr. President not that of the Vice President.
    “These are mischief makers, those who do not wish this country well, who are always promoting crisis, who will not allow the people to benefit from this democracy, are the ones promoting this kind of divisive tendencies.”
    Ojudu added: “Almost on a daily basis, there are things he still needs to consult the President I mean it’s not a regular thing but major decisions he still has to consult Mr. President. The president is still the president.”
    He insisted that Buhari is still in charge even on medical vacation.
    “He is in charge but like I said earlier on, this is a joint ticket. The president of Nigeria remains the president of Nigeria. He is acting because it is one government and the same. He is more experienced, he has been in the game longer than the vice president and if there are major issues that he needs to take decision on, he could call on him and say, ‘sir, what do you think about this; we are about to take decision on it, do you have opinion?’ That does not mean he is not in charge,” Ojudu said
    He added: “Again, one other thing you have to see is that if you give someone a responsibility, he must be able to show to Mr. President that despite that he is not around, it is not going to create any vacuum. He can then decide not to sleep at all, all through the time the president is away just to show him that he is capable of ensuring that Nigeria goes on well while he is away.
    “And the President could also have given the mandate, let nothing go wrong, I believe in you, I appointed you as my vice president; you must make sure that you do this. If you have a boss who gives you an assignment you will want to impress him and Nigerians as well and that for me is what has happened. ýIt is not that one person is better than the other; certainly not.”
    According to him, those reports were aimed at causing division in the Presidency.
    He stressed that the Presidency would not allow those behind the reports to succeed.
    “I’m telling you that I have seen some things sent out intentionally to cause some kind of division within the Presidency. Some people who have been condemning everybody in the past, I see them on twitter and on facebook and generally on social media. Some people are trying to promote division and we are not going to allow that.
    “This president and vice president work together in tandem and I know they both have confidence in this nation,” he said.
    Opposition politicians and some former officials of the previous administration, have been extolling Osinbajo, suggesting that the president could continue to stay away.
    Among those in this group is Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who said the acting President should “do away with the cabal around the president.”
    Another person in this category is Reno Omokri, who said: “We have an action Acting President and a blaming real President!”
    Reacting to some clerics in Katsina State claiming that the president was poisoned, Ojudu said: “The way I will react to that is that those of you in the media should be careful what you pick from the social media now, it is becoming a factory for fake news in the Nigeria.
    “A lot of things you see on social media can never be true. I saw that, I read it and I assessed it using the prism of these factors, those indices we use to analyse stories in the media and found out that, it cannot be true.
    “For example, they said somebody kept N77 trillion somewhere; imagine that. What is the total value of Nigeria’s economy that because of somebody keeping N77 trillion, therefore, some people want to poison him so that they can inherit the money.
    “I mean we have a president that nobody in this country can question his integrity. As a young officer, a middle officer, a senior officer and as a head of state till now, nobody has been able to tarnish his image or come up with anything.
    “For me, it is not even worth responding to. As soon as I read it, I dismissed it. It is so ridiculous. Again it is the handiwork of our enemies, the problem is fakeness has almost become global and universal, other countries are experiencing it. Those who want to destabilise the country they come up with all kinds of stupid stories, some kind of unimaginable stories so we should just discountenance those things.”

  • Understanding the Buhari/Osinbajo Presidency

    SIR: Most pairings in politics are meant to balance the ticket. In many cases, the two persons are like-minded, have a harmonized action plan and work in the same direction. Nonetheless, these two could also be at variance on certain issues, have conflicting views of certain phenomena and maybe sometimes disagree on things.

    Nigerians are used to sit-tight leadership at all levels that see political positions as personal, abhors delegating authorities, see their deputies as rivals and a threat; a leadership that often have disdain for their second-in-command; and one that will never support their deputies in anything, let alone transfer power to them to act in their absence. Nigeria has witnessed numerous cases of leaders and their assistants turning against one another. Some have even turned out to become sworn enemies- The Obasanjo/ Atiku feud is a good example.

    But President Muhammadu Buhari and Acting President Yemi Osinbajo have re-established the ideal of one presidency and it is working well for the good of the country and democracy. The two have redefined how we view the President vis-a-vis the Vice President. They have created an atmosphere of progressive political synergy never seen in Aso Rock villa in recent times.

    Both have unique chemistry. Civility of the two distinguished men has kept the Buhari/Osinbajo relationship close, warm and friendly.

    So far, so excellent is Osinbajo’s performance. Acting President Osinbajo has been a good representative of the Buhari School. He has shown that he has not been a figure-head vice president, rather an astute complementing figure to President Buhari’s drive to take Nigeria to greater heights.

    He has inaugurated five commissioners of the National Population Commission, constituted the Presidential Task Force on Food Security with the mandate to reduce prices of food items in the country, declared open, the Agenda for Consultative Forum on Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. He sent the name of Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen to the Senate for confirmation as substantive CJN. The acting President has also inaugurated the National Road Safety Advisory Council which he heads. Osinbajo has presided over a meeting of the National Economic Council on February 16. The meeting, among other things, directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to review the foreign exchange policy- which already yielding some positive results. On February 17 the acting president signed seven bills into law. On February 20 he presided over a meeting of the Presidential Task Force on wheat and rice and assured that the nation would attain self-sufficiency in food security. On February 21, Osinbajo presided over an expanded meeting of the Presidential Enabling Business Council and unveiled a 60-day national action plan for ease of doing business. The acting president also sent the name of Mr. Adeyinka Asekun from Ogun state to the Senate for confirmation as non-career ambassador.

    When one looks at the relationships between many leaders and their deputies in the past and present, it is apparent that there have never been two persons like Buhari and Osinbajo who have shown Nigerians how delegating power is used for the benefit of the nation and for the development of democracy instead for personal motives.  The two have set a standard which should become a model for leaders and assistants to follow, if our democracy must continue to flourish.

     

    • Zayyad I. Muhammad,

     Jimeta, Adamawa State.

  • Presidency, Sahara Group, others launch Advisory Group for SDGs

    Presidency, Sahara Group, others launch Advisory Group for SDGs

    A renewed drive for public-private sector collaboration is set to commence in Nigeria as Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo inaugurates the Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Tuesday.

    The Group  aims at mirroring the Global Private Sector Advisory Group which established by United Nations Sustainable Development Fund (UNSDGF) in New York to effectively achieve the SDGs as a result of the numerous challenges faced during the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
    The PSAG in Nigeria will provide the Global PSAG with guidance and strategic support to achieve hitch-free implementation of SDGs in Nigeria. This will ultimately create a platform for more impactful and home-grown sustainable models and solutions to achieve the SDGs.
    Speaking on the initiative, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, said the PSAG would help the nation address and solve development issues sustainably.  “The Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Sustainable Development marks a new dawn in the implementation of pro-poor projects and  programmes in Nigeria,” she said.
    Tonye Cole, Executive Director and Co-Founder Sahara Group, said the PSAG would galvanise ideas and initiatives from various stakeholders to achieve accelerated and inclusive development across the nation. “We strongly believe that the achievement of the PSAG objectives will not only improve the global SDG ranking of Nigeria, it will also improve the standard of living across the nation through the provision of sustainable solutions to basic problems,” said Cole, who represents Sahara Group on the Global PSAG board of the UNSDGF.
    The Nigerian Private Sector Advisory Group is made up of 13  key partners who share high commitment in achieving the 17 SDGs and also have a track record of laudable milestones in the area of implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility projects.
    Some of these key partners include but are not limited to: Growing Businesses foundation (GBF), Lagos Business School (LBS), Sahara Group Limited, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd. (PwC), Google,  Unilever Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, GT Bank, General Electric (GE), Dangote Group, Coco-Cola, Channels Television, Chamber of Commerce- Lagos/Kano, National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) and NASME. As the work progresses, the number of organizations that make up the PSAG are expected to increase to accommodate others that are keen on contributing their quota towards achieving the SDG’s in Nigeria.
    Stakeholders working under the aegis of the PSAG will collaborate on identifying areas of common interest to achieve the establishment of vibrant public-private partnerships in Nigeria.
    The Group will work closely with the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on SDGs to ensure seamless implementation  of adopted development projects across the nation.

  • 2017 budget:  Presidency, lawmakers resolve grey areas

    2017 budget:  Presidency, lawmakers resolve grey areas

    The Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly on Wednesday resolved grey areas in the 2017 budget, it was learnt yesterday.

    The different positions of the two arms of government on some areas was said to have threatened the early passage of the Appropriation Bill.

    The Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and the leadership of the National Assembly held a meeting on Wednesday night to resolve their differences.

    A source said it was agreed that “the budget should be structured in a manner that will give priority attention to all existing capital projects to avoid abandoned projects”.

    The source said that it was also agreed that deliberately leaving out key projects in the budget only to take care of them through extra-budgetary expenditure should not be allowed.

    Specifically, the meeting was said to have resolved that that projects, such as the N6.9 billon Abuja Airport rehabilitation which was provided for in the 2017 budget, should be captured in the capital aspect of the budget.

    The meeting was held at the Presidential Villa at the instance of Osinbajo was attended by Senate President Bukola Saraki,  House Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers of the National Assembly.

    Minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Budget and National Planning Minister Udoma Udo Udoma and a few others were also at the meeting.

    It was said that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) yet to defend their budget proposals were directed to do so immediately.

    It was also learnt that key road projects, such as the Lagos-Ibadan expressway are to be given more funds to facilitate their early completion.

    Before the Villa meeting, the leadership of the Senate had met with committee chairmen to get information on the budget.

  • Presidency cautions Akwa Ibom governor over Paris Club fund

    The Presidency on Thursday asked Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, to ensure judicious use of the N14.5 billion released to the state by the Federal Government from the Paris Club debt fund.

    It specifically cautioned the governor to deploy the fund to defray outstanding salaries and pension arrears of workers in the state.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang stated this when he hosted a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emmanuel Ukoete, who defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ukoete represents Ukanafun/ Orukanam of Akwa Ibom in the House of Representatives.

    Enang, who said the fund was released to the state government for the payment of accumulated salaries and pension owed workers in the state, insisted that the money should be used for its purpose.

    He said, “We are calling on the state to use the money for what it is meant for so that life can return to the state.”

    The Presidential aide noted that  it is obvious that the people of Akwa Ibom are the greatest beneficiaries of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in term of appointments and empowerment programmes.

     

  • Presidency to South Africa: end attacks on Nigerians

    Presidency to South Africa: end attacks on Nigerians

    The Presidency yesterday condemned the killing of Nigerians in xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
    “We have lost about 116 Nigerians in the last two years and in 2016 alone, about 20 were killed. This is unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria,” the Presidency said in a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
    The Nigerian community has continued to live in fear. Some of its members were yesterday receiving calls threatening more attacks against their homes and businesses.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some South Africans launched xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other foreign nationals in Pretoria West at the weekend.
    No fewer than five homes and businesses belonging to Nigerians were burnt by a mob.
    Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, President, Nigeria Union, South Africa, told NAN on telephone from Pretoria, that some Nigerians received calls asking for payment to protect their homes and businesses.
    “ Some Nigerians and other foreign nationals in Pretoria West now live in fear. Some have started packing their belongings for fear of more attacks.
    “ They confirmed to the union that some South Africans were calling and   threatening to unleash more mayhem against them.
    “The callers asked for money to be spared the attacks.
    “ The union is worried about the development because the South African police are  yet to arrest those who perpetrated last Saturday`s attacks,” he said.
    According to Anyene, the union has pleaded with Nigerians to take precautionary measures and remain law abiding.
    “ We also urge the Federal Government to persuade its South African counterpart to  put in place measures to guarantee the safety of Nigerians,” he said.
    The Presidency urged restraint and called on Nigerians to be extra cautious.
    The statement called on the South African government to take decisive and definitive measures to protect Nigerian citizens and other Africans within South African borders.
    Anyene added: “As we speak, five buildings with Nigerian business, including a church, have been looted and burned by South Africans.”
    Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said that the African Union (AU) was being called upon to intervene because there was credible information that more xenophobic attacks on foreigners will take place on February 22 and 23.
    Two weeks ago, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa met with South African High Commissioner in Nigeria Mr. Lulu Aaron-Mnguni, on the killing of Nigerians in South Africa.
    Mr. Mnguni said the government was investigating the matter.
    The Senate and the House of Representatives Committees on the Diaspora also yesterday condemned the attacks.
    The committees asked the Federal Government to take a harder stance against attacks on Nigerians in other countries.
    The condemnation was informed by alleged killing of many Nigerians, including Tochukwu Nnadi, a 34-year-old businessman by South African police on December 29, 2016.
    Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Diaspora Senator Rose Oko said her committee wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to furnish it with details of the killing.
    She said: “We have written to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to avail us with what happened in South Africa between the police and the man.
    “We condemn in very strong term these attacks on Nigerians. There are extra-judicial killings in South Africa and there are Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
    “You aware that in 2016 alone, about 20 Nigerians were killed in extra-judicial manner. Before this time, several others have been killed in extra-judicial manner. There are several incident of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
    “You are also aware that Nigeria/ South Africa have excellent diplomatic ties. In 2013, when there were xenophobic attacks, our former President signed Memorandum of Understanding to re-enforce diplomatic ties.”
    The Cross River North lawmaker said killing of Nigerians in South Africa is against all known laws across the globe.
    She noted that even the constitution of South Africa guaranteed human rights and fair hearing.
    Senator Oko recalled the contributions of Nigeria towards the liberation struggle in South Africa.
    The House Committee on Diaspora did not spare the Federal Government, criticising it for doing nothing to stem the attacks.
    Speaking with reporters at the National Assembly Chairperson Rita Orji  said she was not going to be part of the “conspiracy of silence”.
    According to her, Nigerians in the Diaspora are only dear to the government because of the funds they remit home.
    She accused the government of over-protecting the businesses and interests of South Africa to the detriment of Nigeria.
    The government, she said, “is not taking a critical look at what Nigerians in Diaspora face in the countries in which they are”.
    She urged the Foreign Affairs Ministry to call for a full briefing from the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa “on how many Nigerians were killed and how many houses were burnt and property looted.
    “The South African Government should bear in mind that Nigerians know that they have interests, they have  businesses here and they have South Africans here. They should not put their people in jeopardy.”
    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim told the committee that though it was the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to protect the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians abroad, funds were not made available to the ministry until the 2017 budget proposals.
    The minister said: “It is estimated that there are up to 15 million Nigerians abroad. It is, therefore, a herculean task for the ministry to provide protection and welfare assistance when no provision was made for that purpose in the missions’ budget.
    “Other countries make financial provision for repatriation of remains, lost income and loss of passport, funeral expenses, medical bills, among others, which our missions can’t, due to the paucity of funds. Yet, Nigerians expect, unrealistically, missions to offer these services.”
    According to her, it is only in the 2017 budget that the sum of N400,000,000.00 ($1.3 million) was appropriated.”

  • Presidency condemns killing of Nigerians in South Africa

    Presidency condemns killing of Nigerians in South Africa

    The Presidency on Monday condemned the renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.

    It called for the urgent intervention by the African Union (AU).

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stated these in a statement in Abuja.

    While urging restraint on the part of Nigerians, Dabiri-Erewa warned that further attacks without any reprimand may have dire consequences.

    She regretted that 116 Nigerians had been killed in the last two years and about 20 were killed in 2016 alone.

    The presidential aide said the unhealthy development was unacceptable.

    She said “We have lost about 116 Nigerian in the last two years and in 2016 alone, about 20 were killed. This is unacceptable to the people and government of Nigeria.”

    Stressing that the attacks were unnecessary setback, she advised Nigerians to be extra cautious.

    Dabiri-Erewa also called on the South African government to take decisive and definitive measures to protect Nigerians and other Africans within South African borders.

     

     

  • Fed Govt to decide on VP’s residence, says Presidency

    Fed Govt to decide on VP’s residence, says Presidency

    •Osinbajo: Aguda House okay for me

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday that the Federal Government is to decide what to do with the new Vice President’s House under construction.

    A statement by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Laolu Akande quoted Prof. Osinbajo as saying that “he is satisfied with living in Aguda House,” the official residence of the vice president.

    The statement said the new house for the vice president which already has 14 buildings almost completed was not the idea of this administration.

    He said: “For the umpteenth time, we like to clarify that the proposed plan of the immediate past administration to build a new official residence for the occupant of the Office of the Vice President, including the controversial gatehouse preceded  this administration.

    “The project which started in 2010, was initiated and funded by the immediate past administration,  but had never featured in the two budget proposals of the Buhari administration: neither in the 2016 nor the 2017 spending plans.

    “Any suggestion therefore that this project benefits our administration or that it reflects our spending style or preferences is not only misleading but blatantly false.

    “Besides, the incumbent Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said publicly that he considers Aguda House, which he currently occupies, a befitting official residence for the Vice President and sufficient for his needs.

    “While the project  is now about 85 per cent complete, the Federal Government, in the circumstances, will decide at the appropriate time what is the best use for the 14 buildings already on the project site.” he said

  • Buhari not looking for quick fix, says Presidency

    Buhari not looking for quick fix, says Presidency

    President Muhammadu Buhari is not looking for a short-term solution to Nigeria’s economic crisis, the Presidency said yesterday.

    His Senior Special Assistant on  Media and Publicity Mallam Garba Shehu, told some youths yesterday that Nigerians need to be patient with the president.

    He spoke at a session organised by non-governmental organisation Citizens Support for Good Governance in Nigeria for Youths.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised for youths to air their views on the present administration and the way forward.

    Shehu said Buhari`s desire was to ensure a secured and stable future for the upcoming generations.

    He said: “All we require of you is to be patient; President Buhari is a long distance runner, he is not looking for short-term gains that people will just clap for him.

    “He wants to build a future of prosperity that will be everlasting, something that will stay for generations, and I assure you that this is a beginning of the good things to come.”

    According to him, the Federal Government has, under Buhari’s  leadership, done a lot in ensuring the security of the nation as well as fighting corruption.

    Shehu also said that the government`s whistle-blowing policy, had to a large extent, helped in recovering looted public funds.

    The Presidential spokesman said: “The policy gives opportunity to every Nigerian to raise alarm when they noticed that an individual may have stolen public funds.

    “You will not only be honoured for pointing it out for discovery, but you can earn a commission.’’

    Shehu said that the government was working hard to restructure the country`s economy, “though its efforts is being misunderstood by most Nigerians.

    “The President Buhari-led administration met a ravaged economy and people were used to lifestyles that can no longer be sustained,’’ he said.

    Shehu said that no country would develop when it imports everything, including toothpick and tissue papers.

    He said that things were beginning to take shape, as Nigeria had become the second largest rice producing country in the world.

    “The rice revolution just started a year ago, a newspaper did an investigation in Kebbi and found out that there were 48,000 new millionaires in Kebbi alone for growing rice,” he said.

    Shehu said the nation’s over-reliance on oil in the past, was unhealthy for the country`s development, adding that such attitude should not be allowed to continue.

    He said that the Federal Government was looking on how to create more jobs for the unemployed youths across the country and to scale up power generation.

    “You can see that exploration and exportation of oil is growing, gas is coming back and power is getting better,’’ Shehu told members of the group.

    Shehu said that President Buhari had delivered on his promise of putting the country on a sound economic footing and fighting corruption.

    Stating  the results were already showing, he added that the government required a little more patient from Nigerians.

    According to him, the government`s war against corruption has been acknowledged all over the world, while its effort to restructure the economy is becoming manifest.

    He expressed confidence that the country would come out of the recession soon, following the boom in agriculture, especially in rice and sugar production.

    NAN reports that it was attended by students of the University of Abuja, Nasarawa State University, Keffi and Federal Polytechnics. The forum was used to highlight the achievements recorded by the President Buhari-led administration.

  • Buhari set to return, says Presidency

    Buhari set to return, says Presidency

    President Muhammadu Buhari is set to return from the United Kingdom where he is spending his vacation, Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the president Malam Garba Shehu, has said.
    In a television interview aired yesterday, Shehu said the president was no longer “enjoying his stay’’ outside the country.
    “As a matter of fact, we should be getting ready to see the president in flesh and blood and that will be as soon as possible.
    “The president (himself) is looking forward to being home to be with his people.
    “I don’t think he is enjoying any longer an extended vacation outside the country,’’ Shehu said.
    Commenting on the president’s telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, the spokesman said it was “undiplomatic’’ for anyone to demand for the release of the audio recording of the conversation.
    “No, I don’t think so; I don’t think it is permitted in international diplomacy. I think if we had recorded Mr Trump in this conversation it would have offended our diplomatic relations.
    “I think the Americans themselves would not have recorded this conversation of president to president,’’ he said.
    On the president’s medical test results being expected from doctors, Shehu said he had no information on whether the president had collected the results or not.
    “No, we have no information on that (test results). If he had received them, he would have been on the plane back home.’’
    Shehu said there was not enough time for the two presidents to discuss other continental and international issues.
    He, however, expressed optimism that the conversation would boost bilateral relations between Nigeria and the U.S.
    “Well, there wasn’t enough time to talk about everything. I think the point at what will follow is in the invitation that President Trump has extended to our president (Buhari) to come over.
    “That is the kind of opportunity that was presented to Nigeria to put all the issues on the desk.
    “As for their immigration policy, I think our president has been clear about one thing – the choices made by the Americans as to who to lead them, in this case, Mr Trump, is entirely their own choice.
    “We have no business interfering with their domestic affairs.
    “As to the countries that have been barred, it has been clearly specified and Nigeria did not feature in the list,’’ he added.