Abati: Camerons Visit is a working visit, not a state visit

Elombah.com

23 July 2011

Abati: Camerons Visit is a working visit, not a state visit       

The Presidential aide on media and communications, Mr Reuben Abati has clarified that Prime Minister David Cameron's one day visit to Nigeria  is a working visit, and so Jonathan could decide to host him in any part of the country. Reacting to criticisms that President Goodluck Jonathan

 denigrated Nigeria’s sovereignty by hosting the visiting British Prime Minister outside the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr Abati explained that in diplomatic circles, there is a difference where a visiting Head of Government is on a working visit, as opposed to a state visit.

Dr. Reuben Abati, in his maiden interactive session with State House Correspondents, described the criticism as unnecessary, explaining that the president has not violated any law nor smeared the country’s sovereignty.

He added that since the nature of the Mr David Cameron’s working visit is to interact with Nigeria’s Business Community, and Lagos being the commercial capital of Nigeria, it is only right that President Jonathan host the Prime Minister in Lagos.

Abati debunked rumours that Cameron preferred to visit Lagos because of the activities of Boko Haram and its threats to security...