Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, Laolu Akande, has stressed that Nigeria will still participate in the India-Africa Summit as earlier scheduled.
There were reports on Sunday that Nigeria will no longer be part of the programme.
According to reports, this was because the Vice President would leave a vacuum for the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to fill.
But in a statement issued Sunday by Akande, it was disclosed that even if Osibanjo was to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the summit, his absence in Nigeria does not leave a vacuum as being speculated.
He pointed out that, “Nigerians know that wherever Mr. President is, at home or abroad he acts fully in his office except if on break, indisposed or incapacitated. So the question of his travelling creating a vacuum does not even exist at all.”
Akande maintained that, “it is also untrue that an advance party from the Vice President’s office departed for India.” He said “no such thing happened because there was no such final decision to travel.”
According to him, “Nigeria’s delegation to the meeting is led by Industry, Trade and Investment Minister, Dr. Okey Enelamah.”
Nigeria is among those to participate in the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Exim Bank of India Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership holding from March 14-15 in New Delhi.
