REVEALED: Why Bill Gate refuses to visit Nigeria again
United States richest man and philanthropist,
Bill Gates says cancellation of his planned official
visit to Nigeria scheduled for March 27 was not connected to the
controversial presidential but a very tight schedule .
Bill
speaking through Communications officer for the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation Amy Enright exclusively told www.ayodelenews.blogspot.com
via e-mail that recent news reports about the reasons for the
postponement of an upcoming trip by Bill Gates to Nigeria are false.
Amy said changes to Bill’s travel
schedule sometimes happen for a variety of reasons.
Amy said, “ Bill has visited Nigeria
often, closely follows Nigeria’s polio eradication and routine immunization
efforts and is always keen to see the work of our partners in the field. He
looks forward to visiting Nigeria when his schedule will permit.”
Ayodele Samuel a Bureau
Correspondent with Abuja based Peoples Daily Newspaper and blogger, seeked clarifications from Bill Gates media office in the US over
reportedly cancelation of his visits to Nigeria to express dissatisfaction to
President Goodluck controversial pardon to corrupt ex-convicts Diepreye
Alamieyeseigha and Shettima Bulama.
ABOUT BILL GATES
Bill Gates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bill Gates | |
|---|---|
 Gates in 2012 | |
| Born | William Henry Gates III October 28, 1955 Seattle, WA, US |
| Residence | Medina, WA, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (dropped out) |
| Occupation | Co-founder and Chairman of Microsoft Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO of Cascade Investment Chairman of Corbis |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Net worth |  US$ 67 billion (2013)[1] |
| Board member of | Berkshire Hathaway |
| Religion | Agnostic[2][3] |
| Spouse(s) | Melinda Gates (1994–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | William H. Gates, Sr. Mary Maxwell Gates |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
| Bill Gates | |
He is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people[7] and was the wealthiest overall from 1995 to 2009, excluding 2008, when he was ranked third;[1] in 2011 he was the wealthiest American and the second wealthiest person.[8][9] During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of CEO and chief software architect, and remains the largest individual shareholder, with 6.4 percent of the common stock.[a] He has also authored and co-authored several books.
Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. Gates has been criticized for his business tactics, which have been considered anti-competitive, an opinion which has in some cases been upheld by the courts.[12][13] In the later stages of his career, Gates has pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors, donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000.[14]
Gates stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in January 2000. He remained as chairman and created the position of chief software architect. In June 2006, Gates announced that he would be transitioning from full-time work at Microsoft to part-time work, and full-time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He gradually transferred his duties to Ray Ozzie, chief software architect, and Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer. Gates's last full-time day at Microsoft was June 27, 2008. He remains at Microsoft as non-executive chairman.
EARLIER REPORT
Alamieyeseigha: Bill Gates cancels visit to Nigeria
by Niyi Odebode, John Alechenu, Olusola Fabiyi, Olalekan Adetayo and Friday Olokor
Chief Dipreye Alamieyeisegha
United States richest man and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has cancelled his planned official visit to Nigeria scheduled for March 27.
Gates’ action, it was believed was part of an unfolding diplomatic row between the US and Nigeria following the controversial 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.
Gates was reported to have already 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.”
The controversial pardon granted Messrs Alamieyeseigha and Bulama had on Friday sparked fierce diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United States, with the Americans threatening to punish Nigeria over Jonathan’s action and Nigeria accusing the Americans of meddlesomeness.
“We see this as a setback for the fight against corruption, and also for our ability to play the strong role we’ve played in supporting the rule of law and legal institution-building in Nigeria, which is very important for the future of the country obviously,” State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, had told reporters in Washington.
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.
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.
He had scheduled this March’s visit to consolidate on that alliance, meet with Jonathan, state governors and other stakeholders with a view to generally revving up the war against the pandemic.
Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru, said on Monday that the visit had been rescheduled.
He said, “As far as we are concerned, the visit has been rescheduled. But I cannot say when that would be. It would be make known as soon as we get a new date.”
Also, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyewuchi Chukwu, said, “I am not privy to Mr. Gate’s itinerary”
Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode said he was not aware of the visit.
Meanwhile, a civil society organisation, Anti-Corruption Network, on Monday reacted to the cancellation of Gates’ proposed visit to Nigeria.
The Founder/Executive Secretary of the ACN and former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dino Melaye, in an interview with The PUNCH said the President should “realise that he is President of Nigeria and not the Ijaw nation.”
Melaye said, “This is a demonstration of a failed government, the world is now a global village. Therefore, no country can hide under the cover of non-interference on domestic matters to perpetrate the evil of corruption. This again have exposed the myopic, porous and parochial advisers of Mr. President. By this unpardonable pardon, the President has finally announced his romance, marriage and union with corruption.”
Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, also said it was an indication that Nigeria was a failing state.
He said, “This is an indication that Nigeria is a failed state. Granting amnesty to a criminal, who jumped bail and declared wanted in saner clime, mocks our sensibility as Nigerians and is also a slap on the nation where the accused is standing trial.”
Meanwhile, the Presidency on Monday said it was not true that the planned visit of Gate to Nigeria was cancelled because of the US opposition to Alamieyeseigha’s pardon.
Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, said this in an interview with State House correspondents.
Abati said contrary to the reports, his interaction with the Bill and Melinda Foundation showed that the planned visit was put off because of the inavailability of some partners.
Abati said, “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.”
COMPILED BY: Sodiq Oyeleke
COMPILED BY: Sodiq Oyeleke
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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