‘We are not going to answer Donald Trump on ‘lifeless’ comment’ – Presidency

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Nigeria’s Presidency, has stated that it won’t reply the comment credited to President Donald Trump, in which President Muhammadu Buhari was described as “lifeless”.

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According to the Presidency, it chose to ignore Donald Trump because world leaders have recognized the President and always ready to meet with him. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, who responded to questions in Beijing, China where President Buhari had travelled to participate at the 7th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, FOCAC, said that world leaders were longing to have audience with the Nigerian leader.

“You know that as a policy, we said that we are not going to answer the American President, however, the fact that the entire world and world leaders are cueing up to meet President Muhammadu Buhari, is an indication that there is something about President Buhari, there is something about the Nigeria he now leads, that the world like.

“I think that Nigerians themselves should better look at this from this positive point of view, it is a major development. We had situations in the country in the past where key world leaders didn’t want to meet our own leaders, all of that has changed in the last three years.”

President Buhari arrived Beijing Saturday to attend the FOCAC Summit holding September 3 – 4, 2018. During the 6-day official visit of the Nigerian President, he is expected to join his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping to witness the signing of an agreement on the National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone Phase 11 (NICTIB 11) between Galaxy Backbone Limited and Huawei Technologies Limited (HUAWEI) at the cost of US $328 million facility provided by the Chinese EXIM Bank.

President Buhari and his Chinese host will also witness the signing of the MOU on One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). It may be recalled that in 2013, the Chinese leader proposed the initiative of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, with a view to integrating the development strategies of partnering countries.