Prominent Nigerian business elite and some Governors were yesterday, sighted at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Cape Town, South Africa, despite Federal Government’s tough posturing against the country over attacks on Nigerian citizens and businesses. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama had on Wednesday told State House correspondents after meeting with President Mu- hammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, disclosed that, Nigeria has decided to withdraw from participating in WEF. However, it was learnt that the Governors of Ekiti and Kaduna as well as some members of the busi- ness class from Nigeria are attending the ongoing forum.
Fielding questions from journalists on whether the participation of some Nigerians including the governors was not an af- front on the position of the Federal Government, Onyeama explained that the Governors may have arrived South Africa before the decision was taken.
Besides, he said that the WEF was not a South African event, rather a global forum but taking place in South Africa. “The World Economic Forum process has started a number of days ago and the Governors who are there had gone there ahead even before this whole issue materialized’’.
The first thing you have to realize is that the World Economic Forum is not a South African Government initiative. It is a Swiss based concept and it takes place in different places. “It is not a question of disobedience because they were actually there before this decision was taken.”
Meanwhile in the face of rising spate of attacks on its citizens, the Federal Government Thursday, declared its intention to evacuate Nigerians willing to leave South Africa.
The Minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the government’s plan at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
The minister announced the recall of Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa and the summoning of the South Africa ambassador to Nigeria for talks over the attacks on Nigerians.