The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, has dismissed insinuation in some quarters, including media report, that Bill Gates cancelled his planned visit to Nigeria because of the presidential pardon recently granted some Nigerians.
The pardon, which was also extended to former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was greeted with outrage and condemnation both from within and outside the country.
Abati claimed to be in touch with the Bill and Melinda Foundation, wondering why people would attribute the cancellation of the visit to the pardon without having fact to back it.
A statement issued on Monday night by Abati reads: “I have read the report in some sections of the media insinuating that Mr. Bill Gates has cancelled his planned visit to Nigeria because of the recent pardon granted some Nigerians.
“I am in touch with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and I can say that this report is not true and that it exists only in the imagination of the writers.
“The foundation said that Mr. Bill Gates’ travels are often dependent on the schedules and availability of many other people and partners and that in this particular case, because these other people and partners will not be available at the time he is presently scheduled to visit Nigeria, they have to reschedule the visit.
“They also said the rescheduling has nothing to do with politics and it has nothing to do with any domestic situation in Nigeria. That Mr. Gates has visited Nigeria many times in the past and he will continue to visit Nigeria because his focus is working with Nigerian government and partners in Nigeria to eradicate polio.
“Nigerians should note that President Jonathan and Mr. Bill Gates have met several times in the past and the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation is one of the major partners working with Nigerian government to ensure that polio is completely eradicated by 2015 which is so etching President Goodluck Jonathan is committed and which he has drawn attention to all the time, an issue on which Nigerian government has done quite a lot.
“What we will like to reassure people is that those who are always looking for opportunity to pull down the country should realise the fact that this country belongs to all of us and that nobody will gain anything by trying to pull down the country.
“Instead, Nigerians should do everything possible to promote their own country regardless of whatever differences that may exist among us: ethnic, religious, sectarian, whatever.”
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