Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, has addressed criticism trailing the absence of President Bola Tinubu at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
NEWSNGR reports that the president is currently on annual leave and has mandated Vice-President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the high-level session in New York, United States.
Speaking during an appearance on Beyond The Headline’, a Television Continental (TVC) programme, Ibrahim argued that Tinubu cannot attend the event to deliver a 15-minute speech.
He said Tinubu’s absence should not be taken as a big deal because many presidents of other countries did not attend the gathering in person.
“What do you think President Tinubu is coming to do?
“The presidents are allowed in the UN under UNGA for 15 minutes. Is that the reason why he should board the flight and be here for 15 minutes?” he queried.
He said Shettima had, in Tinubu’s absence, attended high-level meetings and met with Nigerians in the diaspora, describing the engagement as ideal.
“This is the kind of engagement we want, not that the president will just be inside the plane and be coming to UNGA for a 15-minute speech. What is the meaning of that? We don’t want that,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim, who was appointed chairman of the budget and administration committee for UNGA’s Fifth Committee in June, said 60 percent of those on the speaking list at the gathering were foreign affairs ministers and vice-presidents.
“As permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations, if I’m to do a memo to the president at the last minute of boarding the plane to go to UNGA, do you think I will recommend the president to be on his way when 60 percent of the speaking list of 193 countries are ministers and vice-presidents representing their countries?
“There are exigencies. If the speaking list is 90 presidents, maybe of course, the president can come. I don’t think the president should come and be where his equivalent is a minister of foreign affairs of another country,” he said.
The envoy also said the country occupied a prominent position at UNGA, arguing that Tinubu’s physical presence was not necessary.
“I promise that Nigeria will be on the front-row seat at UNGA. Are we not on the front-row seat? Nigeria is sitting at number eight seat in the UN under UNGA and America is at number 26th seat at the back of Nigeria’s seat.
“And you know, Donald Trump didn’t go to sit on his own seat. He came in to give a lecture at the UNGA and went back from there.
“Are you saying that Nigeria is making the impact it is supposed to make globally? Must we have President Tinubu here before we can make the impact?” he said.
