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| President Muhammadu Buhari, SSAP Hon Abike Dabire Erewa, Dr Mrs Naomi Barbara King, Mr. Baba Onabanjo, Amb Erika Bennett and other family members of African-American Human Rights Activist, Late Martin Luther Jnr during the conferment of The First Black History Month National Black Excellence and Exceptional African Leadership Award 2018 at the Council Chambers in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. MAR 26 2018. |
The Federal Government has said that the award given to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Late Martin Luther King Jnr family was in recognition of the President’s achievements in the fight against corruption.
Besides, the government noted that the visit to Nigeria was privately funded and not one kobo was spent by the Nigerian government.
In a statement signed by Abdurrahman Balogun, Special Adviser Media to Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Foreign and Diaspora, the government, therefore, urged Nigerians to discard the news making the rounds about the visit.
The statement reads: “The members, led by the matriarch of MLK, Naomi Barbara King, were in Nigeria as part of the activities initiated to celebrate a low- key Black History Month in Nigeria as part of deepening partnership between Africa and its Diaspora.
“As part of the activities, they visited President Muhammadu Buhari and gave him a commemorative plaque for his fight against corruption and what they termed from the “Africana Diaspora” a term for Africans in Diaspora for which the oldest of them all, Naomi Barbara King, was selected to present on behalf of the family (not MLK Centre) as a sign of appreciation to the Nigerian President.
“It must be categorically stated here that the trip was totally privately funded and not one kobo was spent by the Nigerian government as it was all a private initiative.”
It added: “However, after two days in Nigeria, one of the members apparently granted an interview which was seen as being political, asking Nigerians to give President Muhammadu Buhari a chance to continue his good works, especially of fighting corruption in Nigeria.
“As a non-political group, he was asked to refute the statement, which he refused to, insisting that was how he felt, and it was his personal opinion, not that of the family neither the centre, of which he is a board member and was the Chief Operating Officer for over five years.
“This may have led to some arguments among them, which they have said they will resolve when they get back to the U.S., which apparently led to the tweet being circulated
“The visit to Nigeria was quite successful that they extended their stay for two major days, surprised at the negative reports on Nigeria.
“Members of the public are hereby urged to please discountenance any fake news about the visit and avoid the temptation of destroying all the good things for the sake of politics.”
