Overseas meetings of Nigerian politicians "clowns", focused on the allocation of political posts

The Nigerian Academy of International Affairs has described the wave of foreign travel by politicians as a clownish gathering.

The group said information available to them showed the purpose of the trips was to award important political posts to interested parties as opposed to the vaunted Nigeria.

"Isn't it ridiculous that, according to the information available to our Academy, some horse dealers who have dominated their so-called discussions of bringing 'lasting hope to Nigeria', are focused on counting their hens before the eggs hatch, whereas deliberations have focused on sharing and allocating the national cake even before the cake is baked, in regards to allocating the main offices of the National Assembly, ministerial posts, the Secretary of the Federation Government and others,” the group's chairman and former foreign minister, Bolaji Akinyemi said in a statement.

According to Mr. Akinyemi, politicians preferred to travel abroad for such meetings rather than devoting sufficient time to finding solutions to the widespread insecurity, economic recession and poverty in Nigeria; "problems they have caused or materially contributed to their creation."

He added that it is unfortunate and heartbreaking to see Nigerian leaders abandoning the country's shores for the capitals of ex-colonialists in search of illusory solutions to Nigeria's problems.

"The misguided and inadvertent jamboree of shame displayed by these leading Nigerian politicians in London/Paris has demonstrated once again that the Nigerian environment created and polluted by them is not conducive to their conceited vanity and undeserved esteem," he said.

He said such trips would expose Nigeria to unwarranted Western influence “especially as they were seen as washing our dirty laundry in the light of the world”.

Mr. Akinyemi noted that the trips demonstrated the callousness and reckless disregard for the plight of Nigerian workers and retirees who are owed.

He said the solution to Nigeria's problems lay within Nigeria and among Nigerians.

He warned that Nigeria should not be governed from another location in the same way that state governors govern their states from Abuja.

“During the most serious period of our existence, our civil war and our peace meetings/conferences took place only in Africa. None took place in Europe or the Americas,” said said the group, adding that it was such "neo-colonialist behavior" that led to Nigeria's absence from the world stage.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how leading Nigerian politicians from major political parties recently held meetings in London and Paris.

Some of those who attended the meetings were Governor Nyesom Wike de Rivers and presidential candidates from the three main parties, the APC, PDP and Labor Party.

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