BILL GATE CANCELS VISIT TO NIGERIA BECAUSE OF ALAMS PARDON?

Richest man and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has cancelled his planned official visit to Nigeria scheduled for March  27. Some people believe this is part of unfolding diplomatic row between the US and Nigeria because of the pardon granted by President Goodluck Jonathan to ex-convicts Diepreye Alamieyeseigha  and Shettima Bulama.

He was scheduled to   meet President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and officials of the Federal Ministry of Health on the polio eradication campaign of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Diplomatic sources said the trip was cancelled, two days after the US government expressed disappointment with the Federal Government for pardoning convicted money launderers because they see it as a setback in the fight against corruption.

Gates had instructed his staff to inform the Nigerian Presidency, the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Federal Ministry of Health that he was no longer coming.

“The State Department has advised him that Nigeria is not conducive for such visit at this time,” a source said.  “We hope that the Nigerian government will get the message and return to the path of sanity.”

Gate is the biggest foreign supporter of the campaign to eradicate polio in Nigeria and has worked consistently with the Nigerian authorities since 2009 over the matter and his foundation has developed a six-year strategy through 2018 that will help combat polio in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan and has set aside $1bn per annum for the purpose. Again, the poor loose to the selfishness of the Ogas at the top.