Buhari Never Embarrassed Elumelu In USA, READ What Actually Happened

Fresh reports have countered earlier suggestions that president Muhammadu Buhari embarrassed Tony Elumelu, founder of the Elumelu Foundation, in the United States of America.

Reports had made rounds that the Nigerian leader embarrassed the Elumelu, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefile, as well as Wale Tinubu of Oando, during his recent four-day visit of America.

According to Global Village Extra, reports that Buhari objected to the presence of African business leader and philanthropist, Mr Elumelu at a round-table meeting between US and Nigerian business leaders on Monday, was very inaccurate after it emerged that Mr Elumelu actually anchored one of the segments of the event.

L-R: Penny Pritzker, US Commerce Secretary; Tony Elumelu, Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation; Antonio Gracias, Founder and CEO, Valor Equity and Julie Hanna; Founder and CEO, Kiva, during an event hosted by US President, Barack Obama at the White House recently, to celebrate Global Emerging Entrepreneurs

The reports further confirmed that, Elumelu, a board member of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), had been requested to be present at the event, and was also invited by the Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, to participate and speak on issues of power and trade.

The CCA, regarded as the premier American organization devoted to US-Africa business relations, said that the report alleging that president Buhari questioned the participation of Mr Elumelu and other Nigerian business leaders in the meeting hosted by the U.S Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the CCA for the visiting Nigerian leader, was bogus and unfounded.

President of the body, Stephen Hayes, said that Mr Elumelu was at the dinner, but had to leave early in order to catch a flight to the Republic of Congo, and was not embarrassed as the reports suggested. 

Jennifer Wright, Communications Director for the CCA, had also said Mr Elumelu is a respected board member of the CCA and was duly invited and registered for the event.

Elumelu is one of Africa’s renowned philanthropists and has been giving out to charity over the years.