…Says Tinubu, other officials are attending event for serious business
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Presidency has refuted accusations made on social media that all Nigerian delegates to the 28th Convention of Parties on Climate Summit (CoP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), are being funded by the federal government.
The Presidency also noted in a piece titled ‘Nigeria at COP28: Separating the facts from fiction’, written by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, on Sunday, that President Tinubu and other senior officials of his administration attended the significant international event for serious business and not for jamboree.
Ajayi was responding to a range of concerns expressed by different groups, particularly on social media, regarding the large Nigerian delegation attending the event, which also drew over 97,000 attendees from over 100 nations worldwide.
A look at the data from the CoP28 organisers’ registration platforms revealed that 1,411 Nigerians had registered to attend the event with many Nigerians suggesting they were all funded from the federal government’s purse.
Ajayi in the piece pointed out that “the people coming together to advance their different agenda and interests from governments, businesses and civil societies are the parties to the convention who represent various shades of opinions and pushing for various mitigating actions.
“In Nigeria like so many other countries, interested parties comprising government officials from both the Federal and sub-national governments, business leaders, environmentalists, climate activists and journalists are present in Dubai.
“Also participating are agencies of government such as the NNPC and its subsidiaries, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NIMASA, NDDC. Many youth organisations from Nigeria especially from the Northern and Niger-Delta regions whose lives and livelihoods are most impacted by desert encroachment and hydrocarbon activities are also represented.
“The President of Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, leads a pan-Ijaw delegation of more than 15 people who registered as parties from Nigeria. Among delegates from Nigeria are also over 20 journalists from various media houses.
“Their participation is very important. It is not for jamboree as it is being mischievously represented on social media.
“It is important to state here that delegates from all countries whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against their countries of origin.
“This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not mean everyone that registered is physically present”, he said.
Ajayi, on the other hand, emphasised the significance of Nigeria’s participation in CoP28 and noted that President Tinubu has not only reaffirmed the importance of treating Nigeria and Africa fairly during the energy transition process, but has also taken advantage of the occasion to broker agreements and entice new commitments from various spheres of influence.
“Like former President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders who demanded fair deal and climate justice for Africa at previous UN Climate summits, President Tinubu is leading the charge at COP28 on behalf of Nigeria and the rest of the continent, demanding from the West that any climate decision and action must be fair and just to Africa and Nigeria in particular, especially the debate around energy transition.
“President Tinubu has been unequivocal in his position that Africa that is battling problems of poverty, security and struggling to provide education and healthcare to her people can not be told to abandon its major source of income which is mostly from extractive industries without the West providing the funding and investment in alternative and clean energy sources.
“President Tinubu and other officials on the Federal government delegation are in Dubai for serious business not jamboree. Our President has been very busy representing our country well. Since Thursday morning when he arrived Dubai, President Tinubu has spent not less than 18hours daily in attending very important sessions, pushing our national agenda whilst holding bilateral and business meetings on the sidelines”, Ajayi said.