So far
so good, the 70th UN Assembly General meeting will be rapping up in few days
especially after the address of the Russian President Vladimir V Putin on
SYRIA. As a country, how have we been represented? The UN general assembly
is a yearly opportunity for countries to present their interest before the
global world. It is an image boaster. Permit me to call it a “market” where
buyers and sellers meet for transaction. It is not enough for us as a people to
celebrate our pluses in terms of business opportunities, aids and general
development but also try to reduce or manage our minuses. So far,
our experience has been a mixture of positive and controversial events that
have booked places as international headlines. Since the positive impact of it
may take some time before we begin to see results, I will like to address some
of the flaws experienced so far and we need to learn for the sake of the
future.
OUR UN
MISSION TEAM
This is
one of the flaws of the trip and everyone culpable should be sanctioned with
immediate effect. It started with the sub-assembly meeting on IDPs which
involved Nigeria, Chad Niger and Cameroon. We are the worst hit especially in
terms of lives lost, displacement etc since inception of this menace called
Bokoharam. Yet, non-represented Nigeria in that meeting.We were referred as
“un-serious”people. The Chairman of the meeting, Stephen O Brien made it loud
in the international media, Daily Post to be precised his disappointment of our
absence in such a high profiled meeting. According to Sahara Reporter , another
avoidable embarrassing moment was when it was time for each head of state to meet
one on one especially in the area of handshakes with the Catholic Pope Francis.
We were disallowed because we got there late. So we were not accredited to have
such an experience. That might sound petty but it speaks volumes especially
when it comes to perception, organization and how we handle our international
affairs as a people. The question is who is in charge of our itinerary,
logistics and organization? All these are quite avoidable.
OUR
MEDIA TEAM
I don't
know if this was due to some level of naivety on the part of the presidential
media team or just a disconnection somewhere especially in the recent time. Mr
Garba Shehu and Mr Femi Adesina have not been managing this aspect very well as
expected. At the moment, they seem to be having a conflicting report in the
middle of the crisis especially on reason for our absence in the meeting for
IDPs. There was a pure lack of harmony. It even got to a point that it was the
former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Fayemi that was attending to vital media issues.
Who gave him the authority to speak on behalf of the Federal Government? What
post is he handling at the moment? Initially, they said we were not invited.
Other time they said they had to go for one that was more important. What could
be more important than the security of lives and properties of the people?
THE
NUMBER OF DELEGATES TOO SMALL
Sahara-reporters
made it clear that the former President Jonathan went to the 68th General
Assembly with about 600 delegates. I don’t have a clear picture of how the
assembly sub meetings run in the UN but I can categorically tell anyone that
various meetings are usually held within that period space and it involves
quite a number of delegates. Why did the President go with 22? Was it to save
cost? Or was it done to have a political score point? The reason best known to
the President. But I think this actually backfired. There was no way 22-Man
delegates can be that stretched to meet up with all the meetings which most of
them run simultaneously in the UN. It is good to save cost especially at this
time. But at times you lose it more in other various forms. Everything is not
always about cash. May be the President should have gone there with at least 50
if not 100. It also showed clearly the role of ministers in such an event.
Unfortunately, we don't have any at the moment.
The flaws
must be managed thoroughly to prevent a future occurrence.
God Bless
Nigeria
Tunde
Adenuga
Twitter :
@tunde_adenuga
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