Xenophobia: Why Fayemi, El-Rufai are attending WEF in South Africa despite FG’s boyco

[Edoman]

Xenophobia: Why Fayemi, El-Rufai are attending WEF in South Africa despite FG’s boycott – Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama






Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama has explained why some Governors are attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) holding in Cape Town, South Africa even though the Federal Government announced its boycott. 
 
Speaking to newsmen at the state house in Abuja, Onyeama said the Governors and other individuals were already in South Africa before a decision to boycott the event due to the xenophobic attacks was reached.
 
The Foreign Affairs Minister who stated that the WEF is an international function which is not organized by South Africa, added that the Nigerian government only announced that its top officials will not be attending the event to register its protest against the xenophobic attacks.
 

“The forum started a long time ago and the governors were already there before our decision was taken”, he said.

 
LIB reported earlier that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Oby Ezekwesili and Jim Ovia all suffered a backlash after being spotted at the fuction in South Africa. 
 
 

[Edoman]

Xenophobia: Twitter users slam Fayemi, El-Rufai, Sanusi for attending event in South Africa






Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II have all incurred the wrath of Nigerians after being spotted at an event in South Africa. 
 
Recall that Nigerians also came down hard on former Minister of Education and Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) convener, Oby Ezekwesili after she was spotted at the three-day World Economic Forum holding in Cape Town. 
 
President Muhammadu Buhari’s New Media aide also called out Oby Ezekwesili for attending the event which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo withdrew from. 
 

He tweeted, “Aunty @obyezeks you’re properly very educated but unfortunately you failed to understand that those who are being attacked in SA, where you’re at the moment, are also private citizens, we all thought you’d sympathize with them and boycott the @wef to properly protest the attacks.”

 
However the attention of Twitter users were drawn to Emir Sanusi's tweet of delivering a speech at Africa in the World Conference in Stellenberg, South Africa. Photos of Governors Kayode Fayemi and Nasir El-Rufai attending same event with the Kano Monarch also led to an outcry on the social media platform. 
 
Here are some tweets;