Acting President Dr Goodluck Jonathan and the United States President Mr. Barack Hussein Obama will tentatively hold a historic meeting at the White House this Sunday, this source comes from the US Department of State, Washington.
It will be the first meeting between Barack Obama and ANY Nigerian leader.A milestone achievement after the Ghana Snub visit fiasco during the ailing tenure of Umaru Y'aradua .
Though the meeting has not been formally announced, News Media and gravepine outlets like twitter and facebook are buzzing on the seeming good fortunes Goodluck Jonathan is bringing to the erstwhile battered relations between the two countries.From the botched Farouk Bombing which led to the inclusion of the country in the official US Terror list as Pakistan and Afghanistan .the leaders are expected to discuss issues of mutual importance to both nations including the just signed Bi-National agreement.
Obama, in March invited Jonathan and other world leaders to the Nuclear Summit in Washington DC holding between April 11th and 14th. The UK Prime Minister, Mr. Gordon Brown will however not be attending because of the elections in his country.
The US Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano is to arrive on Saturday in a measure between the United States and Federal Government in the continous War against Terror.
Napolitano is to hold Briefings with various Security Arms.
Photo:janet Napolitano
Paul Adams & Akin Osunlaja reporting for 9jabook
More Reports From THISDAY:
In what would be his first major outing as Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan would be hosted by US President Barack Obama on Sunday at the White House in Washington D.C.
It would be a rare meeting between an American President and a non-substantive president of a country.
The high-level meeting has not been officially announced by both countries.
But sources at the Nigerian Embassy and the US Department of State told THISDAY that all necessary preparations had been made for this important parley.
It was reliably gathered that the meeting was finally sealed on Tuesday when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Alhaji Ahmed Yayale and US Secretary of State Senator Hillary Clinton met in Washington, D.C., to sign the Bi-national commission agreement between the two countries.
President Obama had sent an invitation to Jonathan last month to attend the Nuclear Security Summit which is taking place between April 11 and 14. Nigeria’s Ambassador to US Professor Adebowale Adefuye had told Obama while presenting his letter of credence at the White House two weeks ago that Jonathan has accepted his invitation.
It could however not be confirmed if the Acting President would stay throughout the duration of the summit especially when he does not have a Vice-President to take charge of affairs in his absence.
The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations at the meeting which would take place by 5pm on Sunday. The Nigeria-US Bi-national Commission is on the agenda, in addition to global terrorism and counterterrorism measures.
Also to be discussed are issues of regional security and peace-keeping. Nigeria is Africa’s largest contributor to peace-keeping.
Working groups had been formed by the commission to address specific issues. These include: good governance; transparency and Integrity; energy and investment; food security and agriculture; Niger Delta and regional security co-operation.
The Good Governance, Transparency and Integrity working group will be launched first because of the preparations and reforms necessary to ensure that the 2011 elections are free and fair.
US had last week announced new enhanced aviation security measures and set aside the list of countries of interest (which Nigeria is part of) announced on January 3, 2010, as an emergency security measure after the botched Christmas Day bombing of an American aircraft by 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.
Although, THISDAY could not get the itinerary of the Acting President's during the visit, it was gathered that he may hold a meeting with selected members of the Nigerian community in that country.
THISDAY also confirmed that the US Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, who announced the new enhanced aviation security measures last week, will arrive Nigeria on Saturday.
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