Emir Sanusi Knocks Osinbajo, Ministers Over Absent From Washington Investors Meeting

Emir Lamido Sanusi

Sanusi Lamido, the Emir of Kano has expressed anger over the absence of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and other Ministers at Washington Investment Meeting.

In a briefing with journalists in Washington on Saturday, the United States’ capital, in an event organised by the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC, Sanusi Lamido said, “We had a meeting today with investors. We came in, then they trooped into the Ambassador’s office to sit down, while investors were waiting,” he said.

He added, “We had a list of people who were in town. The Vice President, some ministers, were in town, they haven’t come up.”

According to the Sanusi, government officials who were suppose to attend the event were absent, and this has brought about worries that Nigeria might lose investment opportunities by their absence.

Sanusi, said that if the same investment summit were to have be hosted by the Rwandan Embassy, the country’s President, Mr Paul Kagame would have not missed the opportunity to be present for the interest of his country.

He noted, “You invite top investors, your ministers are in Washington and they do not come to talk to the investors about Nigeria.

“That is not how to treat investors. If you have this forum in the Rwandan Embassy, I assure you that President Kagame himself would be there.”

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Reports have it that ministers who were suppose to be in attendance include: Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu; Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh; Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu.

Others are: Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi; and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah.

Mr Sanusi, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) feels that the ministers’ absence could jeopardise Nigeria’s efforts to attract investment opportunities into the country.

The event was attended by United State Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross; IFC Regional Vice President (Middle East and Africa), Sergio Pimenta; President and CEO, U.S African Development Foundation (USADF), C.D Glin; and others.