By Sunday Ameh
A Research Professor at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Femi Otubanjo, has said President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly should be considered in the context of his annual leave.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interview, Otubanjo argued that the physical presence of the President at the UNGA was not compulsory, provided Nigeria was adequately represented.
“Majority of people talk without putting it in the proper context. Number one context is that President Bola Tinubu is on his annual leave and when he is on leave, he leaves the work of the office to other people to do it and UNGA is not so important,” he said.
According to him, the central consideration should be Nigeria’s national interest rather than the President’s physical presence at the international gathering.
“The main thing is Nigeria’s national interest,” he said.
Otubanjo noted that Vice President Kashim Shettima was leading Nigeria’s delegation to the UNGA, describing him as the highest-ranking official available to represent the country in the President’s absence.
“What is important, very important, is that we are represented. And we are represented at the highest level. That is the Vice President,” he said.
Shettima arrived in New York on Sunday to represent Tinubu at the 81st UNGA and is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement and participate in high-level meetings and bilateral engagements.
Otubanjo also questioned the assumption that a President’s physical presence at the UNGA automatically translates into substantive diplomatic gains.
He said some interactions between world leaders at international gatherings could be brief exchanges rather than detailed working meetings, adding that more substantive diplomatic engagements could continue through established channels.
“COVID taught all of us how to work remotely. The President is talking to his ambassadors and talking to businessmen outside Nigeria,” he said.
His comments came amid debate over Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar questioning the President’s repeated delegation of attendance to the Vice President.
The Federal Government has maintained that Nigeria is fully represented at the gathering and that Shettima is attending with the full mandate of the President and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Domestic governance and Nigeria’s global image
Beyond the UNGA controversy, Otubanjo argued that Nigeria’s international image was closely connected to its domestic governance.
“A nation’s domestic image determines its international image,” he said, calling for greater attention to good governance, accountability, transparency and prudent management of public resources.
He also criticised what he described as misplaced government spending, citing alleged expenditure on infrastructure, an aircraft and religious pilgrimage.
Otubanjo claimed that the Federal Government had spent N21 billion on a residence for the Vice President, $150 million on an aircraft and N90 billion on the pilgrimage of Nigerians to Mecca.
The claims were made by Otubanjo during the programme and were not independently established in the statement provided.
He argued that Nigeria’s aspiration to maintain its influence in Africa and seek greater representation in global institutions must be matched by credible governance at home.
Nigeria is participating in the 81st UNGA under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
For Otubanjo, Nigeria’s national interest should remain the principal consideration in assessing the country’s participation in international engagements, regardless of whether the President personally attends every gathering.
Leave a Reply