WHAT PRESIDENT BUHARI TOLD ME, SAYS FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE FYNEFACE - THE NEW YORK UNGA MEETING 2016.

Few weeks ago, I saw a publication from www.sustyvibes.com captioned “What Fyneface told President Buhari and other Leaders at the Nigeria-UNGA Side Event on Thursday”. From this caption, critical minds who read the story would definitely be wondering and asking what then was Mr. President’s response to what Fyneface told him and others? Thus, it is important to inform you at this point in time with pictographic prove that, Fyneface did not only tell President Buhari “something”, President Buhari also told Fyneface “something”; one-on-one and face-to-face in a quick tete-a-tete at 71st UNGA.

While my presentation lasted at the event at the UN Headquarters on September 22, 2016, President Buhari joined other leaders, members of the National Assembly, etc. to nod his head, an indication that he was taking notes of the demands I was making on him and his government and then joined in the applause at the end of my speech.

It was obvious from the program of event that when the President finishes speaking; there will be no room for him to respond to anything that anybody says. Thus, I concluded in my mind even before I was given the floor to speak that I was going to meet with Mr. President and get response from him for the demands in my speech to take home to the Ogoni, Niger Delta and the Nigerian youths/people.

It was against these backgrounds that, at the end of the event, I walked up to the presidential security/protocol team and demanded to meet with Mr. President. Without hesitation or second thoughts, they threw their doors open for me to meet with the President. President Buhari then received me with a smile on his face, had handshake with me, congratulated me on my presentation and told me that he had taken notes of my demands on him and his government and that steps would be taken to address them.

There is indeed no one that would get these assurances, directly from the mouth of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria himself that would not conclude that he is determined and committed to clean-up Ogoni, the Niger Delta and address the challenges in the region including those contained in my speech at the United Nations. Thus, to me, I think it would not be out of place to say that the President deserves to be given the benefit of doubt-a chance, by way of support and cooperation to enable him address the challenges in the Niger delta region while we continue monitoring and playing oversight functions to be sure that they are being done!

If you ask me, I would say that I did not disappoint those who nominated me for this assignment, my Ogoni/Niger Delta people as well as the Nigerian youths and would particularly thank AkpoBari Celestine, among others for facilitating this.

What Fyneface told Buhari at the UNGA meeting will also be published here as soon as it is made available.