DECEMBER 7, 2012 : IFEANYI ONUBA

Billions of naira of taxpayers’ money have been expended on the foreign trips of President Goodluck Jonathan despite his January promise to cut down on such trips.

This newspaper’s findings show that the President and his entourage have spent not less than N3.354bn on foreign trips since 2010.

Our correspondent learnt that in the first 11 months of 2012, the President had travelled out of the country at least 20 times, including his trip to Sierra Leone in October and the D8 Summit he attended in Pakistan in November.

In September alone, Jonathan travelled out of the country four times. He travelled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a two-day visit on September 1 for the burial of late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Nine days later, he went to Malawi and Botswana in a cumulative three-day visit for enhancement of bilateral relationships. The President ended the month of September with another trip to New York, United States for the United Nations General Assembly

From February, 2010 when he became the Acting President to December 2010, Jonathan spent N970.891m on foreign travels.

Although the 2011 budget was silent on the expenses for the President foreign travels, investigations showed that about N1.7bn was spent on foreign trips.

According to the 2011 budget, N1.145bn was budgeted for Vice-President Namadi Sambo’s foreign trips.

In 2012, N N684.74m was budgeted for Jonathan’s foreign travels and he had travelled out of the country 19 times.

Although the 2013 budget recently submitted to the National Assembly by Jonathan suggested that N2.6bn would be spent on his foreign trips next year, investigations have shown that much more than the quoted figure will be spent and is being spent judging by the expenses the country incurs during such trips.

The expenses incur include and are not limited to airfares for members of the President’s delegation who will travel on commercial flights, cost of procuring travel visas for them, estacodes for members of the delegation, fuelling of the presidential jets as well as other logistics.

Only the President and his very top aides fly on the presidential jets.

Industry source told one of our correspondents that airfare to and fro any European countries in the Economy category could vary from N110,000 to N150,000 per person depending on the timing and the destinations.

She added that for the Business class, the fare ranged from N600, 000 to N700,000 per person depending on the category of the Business Class (there are three categories), the timing and destination.

Prevailing exchange rate at the time of purchase is also said to be a factor.

The source added that corporate purchase like Aso Rock would do, could also attract discounts.

The President was said to have jetted out to different destinations in Africa, Europe, Asia, North America and South America during his Presidency.

Jonathan, in 2011 alone, visited several countries including United States, France, Uganda, Australia, Ghana, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia among others.

The size of his entourage varies depending on the country he is visiting and the purpose of such visit.

While top aides and officials of the Presidential Villa are regular faces on such trips, ministries relevant to the purpose of his overseas trips also send delegations.

Lately, the President had also resolved to always go on foreign trips with two members of the National Assembly (one from each chamber) who serve on the committee related to his purpose of visit.

State governors are also on the entourage.

For example, an online news site, Saharareporters, had in June reported that Jonathan travelled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations’ Earth Summit with 116 government officials.

Although the Presidency faulted the number, it did not offer the exact number despite a request made by the news site.

The breakdown of the delegation was given as 25 personal aides, 18 aides of Mrs. Patience Jonathan, two members of the National Assembly, five ministers, two state governors, and 63 officials from the Ministries of Environment, Foreign Affairs, National Planning and Petroleum Resources.

When the President visited Brussels for the World Customs Conference in the same month, the same medium reported that he went with about 57 people, including 26 aides, three ministers, eight members of the National Assembly, and 20 other government officials.

The same month, Patience Jonathan was in Maryland, United States, to attend a UNESCO First Lady’s “Youth Infusion” Summit and was reportedly accompanied by 36 people: 18 aides, four wives of state governors, and 14 friends and associates.

Investigation showed that in September 2012, Jonathan jetted out of the country four times. He visited Ethiopia Malawi, Botswana and New York, United States for the UN General Assembly.

He had reportedly visited Trinidad and Tobago earlier with a 70-member delegation.

Jonathan had said in a national broadcast in January, “I have directed that overseas travels by all political office-holders, including the President, should be reduced to the barest minimum. The size of delegations on foreign trips will also be drastically reduced; only trips that are absolutely necessary will be approved.”

lekankolade:
traveling is part of education ....let dis man soul rest in peace jare...rara ooo, I don remember say my money dey dia ooo, Ogun oooooo

makzeze:
Jonathan has explanation to make.

PassingShot:
The ediots aka Wailing TANoids didn't see anything wrong then.

Let them continue to wail. Their miserable life is just starting.

President Muhammadu Buhari will be visiting Washington D.C, the US capital for his meeting with President Barack Obama next week, Monday with an announced 32-man delegation and unannounced aides numbering average of 10 that would be accompanying governors, ex-governors, State House officials and businessmen.




[b]This will bring the total number of Nigerians on this visit with President Buhari to about 229, being the biggest Presidential delegation in Nigerian democratic history. This contingent will cost Nigeria about N2.2billion from the virtually empty Treasury.

The Presidency have earlier announced that those expected to join the President on the visit include Governors Kashim Shettima (Borno), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) Each with 15 aids.
The rather large delegation will also have former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi; Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election, Pastor Tunde Bakare; former President of the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and publisher of The Democrat, Ismaila Isa Funtua; a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau; and Halilu Sheni, a businessman.

Others in the delegation will include officials in the presidency and some heads of government parastatals.
Apart from the number about about 10 government officials have already left the United States in what they claimed is preparing grounds for the Visit.[/b]

jmaine:
I consider it absolute foolishness when you scream change yet seek to justify your prevalent errant acts with the past one considered abominable . . . .




http://dailymail.com.ng/muhammadu-buharis-united-state-visit-will-cost-nigeria-n2-2billion/

.
This thread is a very silly attempt at nothing . . .. . If a single trip of Buhari is going to cost tax payers a whooping N2.2 billion . . .Kindly do the maths to extrapolate the total expenditures of Buhari travels . . . . .

philips70:


Does this report you posted make any meaning to you? The report you read up there were statement after the fact but you went to bring a pepper soup joint supposition to counter it? You can do better please. Wait till after the visit to get the exact members of the delegation.

jmaine:


Dailymail is now pepper soup supposition to your ilk simply because it exposed you all as fraudulent agents of change. What facts did the punch newpaper present to make her report fool proof beyond reasonable doubt.

The APC supporters on nairaland simply need to upgrade their skills in their attempt to defend the missteps of the incumbent . . . . .

philips70:


That report was written before the trip so it's nothing but forecasts and assumptions. The language there is very clear. Wait till they get to the US and the entourage will be duly reported.

jmaine:


Dailymail tabloid is now pepper soup supposition to your ilk simply because it exposed you all as fraudulent agents of change. What facts did the punch newpaper present to make her report fool proof beyond all reasonable doubt.

The APC supporters on nairaland simply need to upgrade their skills in their attempt to defend the missteps of the incumbent . . . . .

Muhammadu Buhari Goes to America; Yusuf Buhari First Son & 32 Others Make Entourage, With an official entourage of 33 including his son Yusuf, President Muhammadu Buhari arrives the Joint Base Andrews Airport, Washington DC Sunday to kick start his official visit to the United States.



Apart from getting a brief on the visit from Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US Professor Ade Adefuye and his team, Buhari will have a private dinner with Madeline Albright former US Secretary of State after settling down at the historic Blair House in Pennsylvania Avenue, the first time a visiting Nigerian leader would be so honoured.

Shettima, Oshiomhole, Amaechi, Emefiele among delegation
President to hold town hall meeting with US Diaspora Nigerians
The President who is billed to hold a Town Hall meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora Tuesday will on Monday be officially welcomed at the White House starting with a breakfast meeting of five at the Naval Observatory, the official residence of the US Vice President Senator Joe Biden.

When a call was put to to Adefuye on the expectations of the visit and what Nigeria stood to gain, he said the visit was strategic on many fronts because Nigeria and the US remain partners on many fronts.

According to him, the US recognises Nigeria as an emerging economic giant not just in Africa but in the global village adding this is the first time the US is inviting a newly elected African leader who has been in office for less than two months, to a state visit.

President Buhari, Adefuye said, “has what it takes to drive this emerging role of Nigeria and I am glad to receive him on this historic visit. The expectation that President Buhari will reposition the nation along the path of greatness is not misplaced.”

The importance of the visit to the US, Adefuye added, “is in the fact that the US is accommodating President Buhari at Blair House, the first of its kind for a Nigerian leader and at no expense to the country.”

Part of the high point of the visit is the long awaited lecture of Buhari at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on his last day in the US.

The institute had expected him to deliver a public lecture at the heat of the Presidential campaign in February. USIP Director of Programmes, Ms. Jennifer Cooke had envisaged an event that would attract a large audience of US policy makers, academics, business leaders, and Nigerians in the Diaspora, an expectation that has even become heightened with the President’s rising profile since his defeat of Goodluck Jonathan a sitting president and the first time this is happening in the political space of the country.

The interactive session jointly organised by USIP, National Democratic Institute, International Republican Institute, Centre for Strategic Studies and the Atlantic Council will offer the President an opportunity to highlight on his policy direction and the expectations in the days ahead.

The Corporate Council for Africa (CCA) which also cancelled its lunch session with Buhari will along with the US Chamber of Commerce hold an interactive dinner with the president who would also have another media chat at the Blair House, later holding talks with Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Economic Assistance Programme for the North East and other important stakeholders on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

The Blair House breakfast meeting which is restricted to five people includes the President, his host Senator Biden, the Permanent. Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Governor of Borno State; Ambassador Ade Adefuye and Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State.

The White House visit which is billed to last one hour will be followed by a media chat at the Pool Spray, a bilateral meeting with Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, US Trade Representative Michael Froman with Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and his Nassarawa State counterpart in attendance

Buhari will also hold talks on corruption with Loretta Lynch, US Attorney General with Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Permanent Secretary, MFA; Director General, Nigerian Intelligence Agency and the Solicitor General of the Federation in attendance
He would later hold talks on Strengthening the Nigerian Economy with Jack Lew, US Secretary of the Treasury, with the Governor of the Central Bank Godwin Emefiele Permanent Secretary, MFA and Director General of the Budget as part of his team.

jmaine:


So a report written before a trip automatically renders it null and void ? What makes you feel reports after a trip is not subject to exaggeration from interested quarters ? . . . . Did the punch newspaper give tenable proofs to back up their claims ? Why should should we ingest yours and discard dailymail report .

philips70:


Hope my last post has cleared your doubt? Many of us are readers and not writers but we must engage our senses while reading to fully grasp the intricacies of these media houses. GEJ's trips and entourage were what everyone knew about. The 4 jets that accompanied him to Kenya were well reported and even became a subject of ridicule from a female Kenya journalist.

philips70:




http://dailymail.com.ng/muhammadu-buhari-goes-to-america-yusuf-buhari-first-son-32-others-make-entourage/


This is today's report from the same source you quoted. This is to tell you their earlier report was mere speculations as I said above. Defend your master with all dignity. What is bad is bad.

jmaine:


You are simply deploying emotional blackmail to extricate yourself from your obvious gaffe. We all seek to believe or discard issues/news bordering on the things we hold dear to heart.

If that dailymail news was about GEJ, you will automatically take it as the gospel since he was your object of hate . . .The same essence will lead you to discard the news simply because it is tainting the image of a man you love dearly . . . . . .

philips70:



Naaaa, I don't defend blindly. I want PMB criticize seriously albeit responsibly so he can always be kept on his toes. The bunch of his critics are even from his own supporters. During GEJ anybody that criticize him is demonized and termed a BH sponsor or apologist if you are lucky.

It's clear from both report the first one was speculation maybe heard from grapevine. If they still stand by it, they would have referred to it in their today's report. We are not all dummies, we can discern.