Mohammed S. Shehu
27 May 2011
President Goodluck Jonathan cancelled his scheduled trip to France yesterday for the Summit of Eight Industrialised Nations (G-8).
The cancellation, according a statement by presidential spokesman Ima Niboro, followed concerns over air travel in Europe caused by the presence of ash clouds in the aftermath of the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Niboro said aviation authorities had indicated that there was a possibility that a resumption of the eruptions would make it impossible for Jonathan to return to Abuja in time for his inauguration for a fresh term on Sunday.
The President was expected to participate in the G-8 Summit at Deauville, France on Friday and return to Abuja on Saturday for his inauguration on Sunday, May 29, 2011.
Jonathan was among the five African leaders invited to participate in some parts of the G8 summit activities. The African countries are Senegal, Algeria, Egypt and South Africa.
The G8 is an unofficial annual forum for the leaders of the eight main industrialised countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Top on the agenda for the G8 summit include issues which remain unresolved from previous summits. A few agenda of interest to Nigeria are the G8’s partnership with Africa, counter-terrorism and transatlantic cocaine trafficking as well as political and security issues.
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Ash Cloud Stops Jonathan’s Trip to France