There are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan, may not be invited to next month’s meeting of the most industrialised nations, DailyPost has gathered.
Also known as the G8 (Group of Eight), countries that form the consortium are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In a meeting on Thursday morning at the Abuja residence of the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence P. McCulley, influential civil rights activists called for the exclusion of President Jonathan from the G8 Leaders’ Summit taking place June 17-18 in Lough Erne Summit.
The UK assumes one-year Presidency of the group.
A source said that“Civil society leaders who attended the meeting asked the G8 through the US to deny President Jonathan invitation to the meeting.”
Ambassador McCulley reportedly promised to convey the message to relevant officials.
The meeting, which held behind closed doors in Abuja, Nigerian capital city, was called by the Ambassador.
The source added that issues discussed include “issues of extra-legal killings by security agents and state of insecurity in the country” as well as “the unprecedented corruption in Nigerian government circles.”
Since the Baga killings in Borno state, which allegedly killed about 200 people, there has been speculation that the US would stop its military assistance to Nigeria over alleged corruption and human rights abuses.
The US State Department denies the report, saying at no time was such action considered.
Representatives of about 10 prominent human rights group that attended the breakfast meeting include Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim of Centre for Democracy and Development,CDD; Kole Shettima of MacArthur Foundation; Emmanuel Onwubiko of Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria,HURIWA; and Clement Nwankwo of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).
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