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Xenophobia: ‘I was in South Africa for another programme’ – Fayemi speaks on attending WEF

Published

5 years ago

September 5, 2019

Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State, has reacted to report that he attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Cape Town, South Africa.

Following the renewed xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa, Nigerian government had cancelled its representation at the WEF holding in South Africa.
Despite the decision of the Federal Government, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and his Ekiti counterpart, Fayemi, Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi were seen in South Africa.

Reacting to his presence in South Africa, Fayemi in a statement on Thursday by his media team, said he was in the country to attend a different event on the invitation of his friend.

“Contrary to some misleading online reports, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, was not at the World Economic Forum in South Africa.

“Rather, the Governor is in South Africa to honour an invitation by a long time friend and one of Nigeria’s most celebrated journalists, Mr Dele Olojode at the “Africa in the World Festival of Ideas” which held in Stellensbosch far away from Cape Town.

“More importantly, the event already held before the decision of the Federal Government to boycott the WEF programme,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said governors attending the World Economic Forum, WEF, in South Africa are not against the decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Addressing State House correspondents in Abuja, on Thursday, the Minister said, “The forum started a long time ago and the governors were already there before our decision was taken”.