Embassy officials face sanctions over botched Pope, Buhari meeting

There are indications that some officials at the Nigerian Embassy in New York, United States, may be sanctioned following a mix-up of President Muhammadu Buhari’s itinerary at the 70th United Nations General Assembly meeting last Friday.

Already, the Federal Government is expecting a report on the incident in which Buhari was barred from attending a meeting with Pope Francis by UN security operatives.

It was gathered that the President was prevented from joining his colleagues at the meeting with the Pope because he did not pass through the gate that was reserved for presidents.

The President was also said to have arrived late at the meeting because protocol officials of the Nigerian embassy allegedly messed up his itinerary.

A source explained that Buhari was not properly briefed by the Nigerian Mission, which accounted for the mix up of his schedule.

The spokesman for the ministry, Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, stated that the MFA was expecting a report on the incident at the United Nations.

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He declined to say whether the officials responsible for the incident would be sanctioned, adding that the report would determine the step that would be taken by the ministry.

“The ministry is expecting a report on the incident in New York; it is a normal procedure for the mission to send report on whatever happens. So, until we get a report on the alleged mix up of the President’s itinerary, I cannot say what would really happen or whether the officials would be sanctioned,” Ahmedu-Ode said over the telephone on Monday.

Reuters had reported that the President earlier missed an event on Boko Haram and internally displaced persons on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The event, which focused on the Lake Chad Basin and the effects of insurgency, was organised by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs and chaired by Stephen O’Brien, under-secretary general of the UN.

It was scheduled for 3pm US time, but the programme prepared by the Nigerian mission did not list it on the President’s itinerary.

But the Presidency stated that the missed meeting was not part of the official events lined up for the President.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, denied that the President missed the event. He said that Buhari was not scheduled to attend the programme.

“The meeting at which Nigeria was reportedly absent was not one of the official events of the United Nations for which President Muhammadu Buhari and his modest delegation are in New York for,” Shehu stated.

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