Princewill Demian
25 April 2018, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, has clarified that he was not in the United States of America and was not billed to attend the US-Nigeria Investment Summit held in Washington, DC.
The minister’s clarification followed reports listing him as one of the ministers absent at US-Nigeria Investment Summit.
Speaking through the ministry’s spokesman, Mr. Idang Alibi, Kachikwu said he was in the United Kingdom where he had just concluded the facilitation of a key investment meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the Royal Dutch Shell Plc led by the CEO, Bernardus Van Beurden, in London.
According to the statement, “The office of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, has recently been beleaguered with various media reports concerning the absence of the Minister of State at the recent US-Nigeria Investment Summit held in Washington, DC.
“It is important to note that Dr. Kachikwu was not in the United States of America as reported and was not billed to attend the summit.
“He was in the United Kingdom where he had just concluded the facilitation of a key investment meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Led by the CEO, Bernardus Van Beurden, in London, United Kingdom.
“He is committed to delivering the major aspirations of the 7BigWins of which Business and Investment Drive is a key theme,” the statement said.
Yesterday, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, gave reasons why they were absent at the US-Nigeria Investment Summit 2018 in Washington DC.
The duo said the summit was not part of their schedule in Washington DC and were only informed about the summit when they arrived the US.
Emefiele and Adeosun disclosed this while briefing journalists at the IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington DC.
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, had on Saturday expressed disappointment that there were no government officials on ground when he arrived for the summit.
