Why Fayemi, El-Rufai, others are in South Africa – FG

Nigeria Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama speaks at the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region in Oslo, Norway February 24, 2017. NTB Scanpix/Haakon Mosvold Larsen/via REUTERS

The Federal Government says the presence of some Nigerians at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in South Africa is not a disobedience of its decision to shun the event.

Geoffrey Onyeama, the minister of foreign affairs told journalists in Abuja on Thursday that governors and other individuals were already in South Africa before a decision was reached for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to boycott the WEF due to xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Some Nigerians currently attending the World Economic Forum included the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

Also present at the Forum was former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili.

Onyeama while defending the presence of the top Nigerians at the Forum also pointed out that the WEF is an international event, which was not organized by South Africa.

“The forum started a long time ago and the governors were already there before our decision was taken,” he said while reiterating that Nigeria only stated a position that its top officials would not be in Capetown to register its protest against the xenophobic attacks.