Alamieyeseigha Pardon: Bill Gates cancels visit to Nigeria

United States richest man and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has cancelled his planned official visit to Nigeria scheduled for March 27. His action was believed was part of an unfolding diplomatic row between the US and Nigeria following the controversial pardon granted by President Goodluck Jonathan to ex-convicts Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Shettima Bulama.

He was scheduled to  meet President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and officials of the Federal Ministry of Health on the polio eradication campaign of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Diplomatic sources said the trip was cancelled, two days after the US government expressed disappointment with the Federal Government for pardoning convicted money launderers.

Gates was reported to have already instructed his staff to inform the Nigerian Presidency, the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Federal Ministry of Health that he was no longer coming. “The State Department has advised him that Nigeria is not conducive for such visit at this time,” a source said.  “We hope that the Nigerian government will get the message and return to the path of sanity.”

“We see this as a setback for the fight against corruption, and also for our ability to play the strong role we’ve played in supporting the rule of law and legal institution-building in Nigeria, which is very important for the future of the country obviously,” State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, had told reporters in Washington.

Gate is the biggest foreign supporter of the campaign to eradicate polio in Nigeria and has worked consistently with the Nigerian authorities since 2009 over the matter. His foundation has developed a six-year strategy through 2018 that will help combat polio in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan and has set aside $1bn per annum for the purpose.

He had scheduled this March’s visit to consolidate on that alliance, meet with Jonathan, state governors and other stakeholders with a view to generally revving  up the war against the pandemic.

Via Punch