Reports are widely circulated that President Muhammadu Buhari is the first Nigerian leader who is hosted at the famous Blair House.
However, this photo shows that one more Nigerian set his foot in the respected guest house.
Dinner in honor of President Kennedy, given by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Prime Minister of Nigeria, 7:55PM on 1961 July 27. Photo: Thefctpost
The building is supposed to have the Abraham Lincoln room, Blair drawing rooms and library, Lee dining room, Truman study, Jackson Place Conference and Jackson Place.
Just a few African leaders which include Late Nelson Mandela, while he was president of the Republic of South Africa, were received there.
But it should be noted that Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a Nigerian politician, and the only prime minister of an independent Nigeria, was welcomed by John F. Kennedy’s, in this house in 1961 for eight days.
Tafawa Balewa while granting an interview to Emmanuel Omatsola on behalf of the John F. Kennedy Library in Lagos on May 7, 1964, confirmed that he was received Blair House.
Inside the Blair House
He commented the murder of President Kennedy, saying that he was aggrieved.
His words: “I was really very aggrieved when I heard of the news of the death of the late President Kennedy. I was then away from Lagos. I was at Kaduna and it came as a real shock for I had met him when I visited the United States in 1961 at his invitation. I was his guest for eight days – four of which I spent in Washington in a house just across the road opposite the White House, the famous Blair House – and I saw very much of him”.
Inside the Blair House
“He was really a great man. In my discussions with him I learned quite a lot and though he was considered as young for a statesman, he was really very matured in experience. To speak of mental age and physical age, and to speak of statesmanship, I think the Late President Kennedy’s age could be regarded as matured as that of any older statesman”.
“He really worked very hard to bring about understanding between the West and the East especially, and I can remember meeting one or two Russians after his death who told me they were sad at the death of President Kennedy, because they thought he understood them and they also understood him. It was really a sad loss for the whole world, for all of us, for the West, for the East, and especially for us in Africa.”
Nigeria flag is flying at the Blair house.
Some other African presidents that have slept in The Blair House comprise His Excellency William R. Tolbert, President of the Republic of Liberia, His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, His Excellency Anwar El-Sadat, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, His Excellency Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
It should be also mentioned that it’s a great honour to stay at Blair House, the official residence of guests of the American president.
Recall, ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and his entourage, during official visits to Washington D.C., usually slept at the Westin Grand Hotel.
At other times, he reserved Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the Pierre Hotel.
President Buhari left for the USA on July 19, with his first son Yusuf and 32 others and has been confirmed to stay at the official guesthouse of the U.S. President.
Nigerian leader is set to meet with his American counterpart for 11 a.m. local time (about 5 p.m. Nigerian time) at the Oval Office White House.
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