President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will, at the invitation of President Barack Obama, leave for Washington DC early Sunday to participate in a three-day United States-African Leaders Summit. However, the president and his entourage including other African delegates would be screened for Ebola virus. President Jonathan will join President Obama and about 50 other participating African leaders for discussions that are expected to lead to greater progress in key areas such as expanding trade and investment ties, promoting inclusive sustainable development and expanding cooperation on
peace and security.
The Summit, which is the first of its kind between an American President and African heads of state and government, is expected to greatly strengthen ties between the United States, Nigeria and other African
countries.
In addition to three special sessions on “Investing in Africa’s Future”, “Peace and Regional Stability” and “Governing the Next Generation”, the summit will also feature side-events such as the United States-Africa
Business Forum which has the objectives of boosting efforts to strengthen trade and financial ties between the United States and Africa, creating partnerships that will accelerate job creation, and encouraging even more
American investments in Nigeria and other African countries.
President Jonathan is also scheduled to hold meetings in Washington with key United States political, security and business leaders on the sidelines of the summit to discuss the further expansion of bilateral
cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in other areas including the war against terrorism.
The President will be accompanied to the summit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, the Coordinating Minster of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo and the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) He will return home at the conclusion of the summit on Wednesday.
President Goodluck Jonathan along with his aides is among the African leaders expected to attend the event.
According to a Reuters report, Obama explained on Friday that screening of African delegates would be done to protect the US from the outbreak of the disease.
He said, “Folks who are from these countries that have even a marginal risk, or an infinitesimal risk of having been exposed in some fashion, we’re making sure we’re doing screening.”
The United States, Obama said, takes risks from the deadly Ebola virus very seriously hence the planned test for the expected African leaders.
Nigeria has recorded the death of an Ebola victim, Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian, who flew into the country on July 20.
The deceased collapsed on his arrival in Lagos and was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed with EVD. He later died on July 25.
Ebola, which has killed scores in Guinea, Gambia and Sierra Leone and Liberia, is an acute viral illness and often characterised by fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. These are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
