Military Plane Tragedy Alters Obasanjo's UN, US Meetings  

Laolu Akande, NEW YORK

Not a few diplomatic and international engagements of Nigeria and its president has been put aside due to the air tragedy involving a military plane that killed Nigeria's Generals and others over the weekend.

For instance, President Olusegun Obasanjo's plans to participate in this year's United Nations General Assembly-the last before he relinquishes power next April- have suffered due to the tragedy and so too his expectations to possibly confer with US President George W. Bush, who is also currently in New York attending the global summit of the General Assembly which opened Tuesday at the headquarters of the world body here.

Besides, an evening of celebration being organised by the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation to honor Obasanjo this week Wednesday in New York has also been canceled because of the plane crash, according to African Americans who were putting the programme together.

The Sullivan Foundation chaired by former US Ambassador to the UN and former Mayor of Atlanta Andrew Young is well known internationally for its regular Africa-America summits held every two years, the last held in Abuja earlier this year. 

President Obasanjo's international standing suffered a big blow in July when he was not invited to the G8 summit for the first time since he started taking active role on behalf of Africa in dealing with the G8, but his international acolytes and friends like Young had hoped the event, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly summit with several heads of states and governments in attendance, will shore up Obasanjo's strong international accomplishments at a time he is expected to start planning his retirement from the Nigerian presidency.

The invitation to that event from the Sullivan noted that "this black-tie Gala will honor Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, a great leader, visionary, statesman and friend. We will bring to light his years of dedication and sacrifice in his humble life's work for Nigeria and Africa. This tribute takes place during the UN General Assembly week and many diplomats, world leaders and friends of Africa are expected to attend."

It was to be held this evening Sept. 20 at the world-class Waldorf Astoria Hotel, starting with a reception at 6.p.m and a dinner by 7.p.m. It was strictly by invitation and the Foundation accepts donation in support of its programmes, according to the RSVP information for the Obasanjo event.

An official of the Foundation called The Guardian Monday afternoon announcing that the event has been postponed due to the military plane tragedy and stated that a new date would be communicated later.

However the plane tragedy may have also fortuitously prevented a seeming diplomatic ambiguity and seeming confusion over the status of President Obasanjo's intention to meet with President Bush in New York on the sidelines of the UN summit. 

White House press official in charge of foreign media, Fred Jones had told The Guardian on Monday that President's Bush itinerary in New York does not involve a meeting with Nigeria's President Obasanjo although a press release from the Nigerian presidency as published on the federal government website nigeriafirst.org and published in the media had claimed that President Obasanjo would be meeting with President Bush in New York.

US government officials made the schedule of the US president available to The Guardian showing all the heads of states that are billed to meet President Bush one-on-one. They include the Malaysian Prime Minister, the Presidents of El Salvador, Honduras, Tanzania, France and Italy. Nigeria was not mentioned.

But White House official Jones explained that it was possible that President Obasanjo was hoping to attend a reception that President Bush planned yesterday evening-Tuesday-for all foreign heads of states and governments attending the UN summit. Other than that, he stated, "to the best of my knowledge no meeting has been scheduled" between Presidents Bush and Obasanjo.

A statement from the Nigerian government on Obasanjo's planned trip to the US said "from Singapore, President Obasanjo will proceed to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly and meet with other world leaders including President George Bush of the United States, the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan and the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, Mr. Javier Solana."

In addition the statement said "The President will also hold discussions with representatives of leading American investors in Nigeria such as Mr. Morris Foster, President of the Exxon-Mobil Production Company before returning home on Thursday."

At the United Nations, a meeting between President Obasanjo and Secretary General had also been planned for this week before the air tragedy in Nigeria. Obasanjo had also been expected to participate in sidelines meetings on the crisis in Sudan and Cote'd' Ivoire. 

Robot  Villager

# 1 Military Plane Tragedy Alters Obasanjo's UN, US Meetings Laolu Akande, NEW YORK...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 21.09.2006 01:13

docokwy  Villager

# 2 Plane Crash: Foreign currency, N0.2m recovered •Villagers secure property •Reps suspend sitting SIMON IMOBO-TSWAM, Makurdi, ABIODUN ADELAJA, Abuja A total of 8,000 euros (about N1.32 million) and N200,000 cash have been recovered from scene of the ill-fated Air Force Dornier 228 aircraft which crashed last Sunday killing 13 Senior Army officers and leaving five other persons seriously injured. The disclosure came as inhabitants of Mbakunu Village in Kwande local government area of Benue State where the plane crashed, said they did not loot or remove any personal belongings of the victims. The military aircraft which headed for Bebi Airstrip, Obanliku, Cross River State crashed on mount Ngokugh, Kwande, 18 nautical miles from destination.It had on board senior army officers who were billed for retreat at the Obudu Cattle Ranch. But speaking to Daily Champion last Monday, one of the villagers Rev. Moses Akem said besides discovering the site and commencing immediate rescue operations that saved the lives of the survivors, about 8,000 euros and N200,000 were found at the scene of the incident. He said the money was returned to a member of the military rescue team that visited the scene. Rev. Akem, a pastor of the NKST Church, Hingir, on the outskirts of Kwande, said three major reasons restrained the villagers from looting the aircraft. He gave the reasons as the desire to protect the village’s good name, the kindred spirit that binds Tiv with the Nigerian Army and the vicarious grief of people who had experienced the pains of losing loved ones in plane disasters including Col. Joseph Akaahan, war-time Chief of Army Staff.“We did not loot, we did not even think of it. Our mission there was to render help in whatever way we could. Save for one of them; the pilot who was dazed, other four survivors were unconscious and the remaining 13 were clearly dead – you could tell from their mangled bodies.“So we brought axes, cutlasses, we axed (cut) the plane to release the trapped bodies inside. We cleared grasses in two places, laid the corpses in one, and the survivors in another. We then administered drips on them, washed and plastered their wounds. This was about six or seven hours before the first military rescue team would arrive” he explained. On whether they were tempted to loot, the cleric said: “As I told you, we did not think of it. The last time this kind of thing happened, we learnt the villagers ransacked the plane and robbed the dead. That kind of thing is an abomination in Tivland. And we did not want people to remember our village for that kind of thing.“Secondly, Tiv people and the Nigeria Army have come a long way. In every Tiv village or even compound you enter, there is a serving soldier or ex-soldier. So for the average Tivman, the soldier man is a brother or friend, at least on face value.“And thirdly, we too have lost illustrious people in plane crashes. One of them was Col. Joseph Akaahan, Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s first Chief of Army Staff. His ancestral home is not far from here. So when this kind of thing happened, it brought back the sad memories. No, we could not have looted”. Villagers of Mbakunu had Sunday morning shortly before midday discovered the missing aircraft which was later found to have crashed on Mount Ngokugh, a mountain over-looking it. The plane was first seen by 14 year-old Master Detimbir Chia, who using the handset of one of the crash victims, called his father, the elder Chia, moments later mobilised other villagers to the mountain top for the rescue effort. With cutlasses and axes, they freed the survivors, notified the outside world, and safe-kept their valuables. Among the rescue workers were Messrs. Solomon Mbaayangona, Moses Akem and a health worker, Dr. John Karga Toryila, who gave them First AID, plastered their wounds and returned to the village to ferry water and food up to the victims. It would be recalled that last year when a Belview carrier crashed in Lisa Village, Ogun State, the villagers had gone on a looting spree, prompting the arrest of some villagers including the traditional ruler of Lisa community. Posted by docokwy| 21.09.2006 02:43

Abraxas  Villager

# 3 Hi, folks! Wow! .....8,000 euros + 200,000 naira in cash for spending, general miliki, and gbaladun inside Obudu Ranch Resort, Nigeria! Really, members of the Nigerian military elite do have the nerve to secure goodies for themselves. Meanwhile these are the so-called champions and flag-bearers of military professionalism post-Abdulsalami! Muchas gracias. Posted by Abraxas| 21.09.2006 08:10

Anon  Villager

# 4 Poor Baba, he has no chance to go on a usual Jamboree. This Sullivan people Young and Master's wont stop this thier ego enabling narcassitic and self adulating kiss Ass projection of Obasanjo. They yet again are planning a dinner to massage thieving Baba's ego. Baba should tell himself the truth... The reason he is not going cannot be attributed to any plane crash because of any plane crash, but because he is ashamed that other respectable heads of state would question all the revelations of his congo shining and greedy looting of accounts with his cohort the VP. Atleast think of all the money saved the country that Baba did not come to the USA. H e might have brought a Harem with him, apart from the usual Andy Uba, Bode whatever his name is, Remi Oyo and other follow follow that go around with him all the time. Posted by Anon| 21.09.2006 11:10

ula-lisa  Villager

# 5 =docokwy;131425>Plane Crash: Foreign currency, N0.2m recovered •Villagers secure property A total of 8,000 euros (about N1.32 million) and N200,000 cash have been recovered from scene of the ill-fated Air Force Dornier 228 aircraft which crashed last Sunday killing 13 Senior Army officers and leaving five other persons seriously injured. The disclosure came as inhabitants of Mbakunu Village in Kwande local government area of Benue State where the plane crashed, said they did not loot or remove any personal belongings of the victims. For those who look for motives and tar all Nigerians with the same dirty brush, please take note that even among Nigerians are persons of principles. Res ipsa loquitur... Posted by ula-lisa| 21.09.2006 12:01

Afro Heritage

# 6 I served in Benue State during my NYSC YEARand I can tell you that Tivs are one ofthe most trust worthy people that I know. They are wonderful people. God bless Tivland and God bless Nigeria. Posted by Afro Heritage| 22.09.2006 23:42