A government official has defended President Bola Tinubu’s excessive delegation to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, UAE after the President faced a fierce backlash, saying it is “not for jamboree as it is being mischievously represented on social media.” Tinubu travelled to Dubai with a train of 1,411 Nigerian participants, the third largest among the 198 country participants and the highest in Africa.
Political opposition voices cried “foul.” Many believe the unwarranted entourage shows Tinubu’s insensitivity to the plight of citizens who bear the brunt of the devastating outcome of his economic reforms. “The Tinubu-led APC administration is wasteful, frivolous and reckless in the application of the scarce resources of the nation, especially at a time Nigerians are yearning for prudent management of resources,” an opposition party said on Sunday.
But in a quick-witted response, presidential spokesperson Tope Ajayi said only a few participants were sponsored by the Nigerian government. Nigeria’s information minister Mohammed Idris pinned the government-sponsored delegates at 422. Ajayi said everyone’s participation is “very important.”
Read more: https://dailytrust.com/outrage-over-nigerias-1411-delegates-to-cop28-summit/
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
