The Presidency Announces PMB's Team To US

PMB & Obama

Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Tanko Al–Makura (Nasarawa) and Kashim Shettima (Borno) have been announced as members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s entourage to Washington DC, on a four-day official visit to the United States.

They will be in the team that will leave Abuja with the President on Sunday.

During the visit, Buhari will hold high-level talks with President Barack Obama and his senior officials.

Others on the entourage are Godwin Emefiole, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade and Investment.

Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement signed Wednesday on the visit said topmost on the agenda of Buhari’s talks with Obama and US Government officials would be measures to strengthen and intensify bilateral and international cooperation against terrorism in Nigeria and West Africa.

Buhari, who would meet with Obama at the White House on Monday, would later hold further discussions with the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey and the Deputy Secretary of Defence, Robert Work on military and defence cooperation.

The President would also meet with Vice President Joe Biden and confer with the Attorney-General, Loretta Lynch, Secretary of Treasury, Jack Lew, Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker and Trade representative, Michael Froman on United States’ support for his administration’s war against corruption as well as fresh measures to boost bilateral trade relations.

The President would be received by the Secretary of State at the State Department in Washington DC.

He would later hold meetings with Senate and Congressional Committees on Foreign Relations, as well as the Black Caucus of the House of Representatives.

Before leaving Washington DC, Buhari would address the Chamber of Commerce and Corporate Council for Africa.

The trip would also afford President Buhari the opportunity of a reunion with members of the American War College Class of 1980 in which he was a distinguished participant.

He is due back in Abuja on Thursday, 23 July.