President Tinubu Arrives New York For 78th Session of UN General Assembly

By: JP Ashedzi

President Bola Tinubu has arrived in New York for the high-level meetings of the 78th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.Tt

The UN correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Tinubu arrived at the JF Kennedy International Airport in New York at about 6:45 p.m. local time on Sunday.

The president is leading the Nigerian delegation to attend the scheduled events of the general assembly from 18 to 26 September what is his first outing in his capacity as the president of Nigeria.

The president was received by the Minister of Foreign of Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, and Dangana Allu, Nigeria’s Defence Attache, Washington D.C.

Mr Tinubu’s reception was a departure from the usual tradition where officials would line up at the airport to welcome the president.

This time, only three officials were there at the airport to receive the president with the other Nigerian officials stationed at the UN Plaza Millenium Hilton Hotel to welcome him.

Those at the hotel to welcome him were Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Uzoma Emenike; Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Lot Egopija; and Consul General in Atlanta, Amina Samaila.

Others are Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo; Uba Sani of Kaduna; Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe; and AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara, among others.

Mr Tinubu, in his inaugural statement to the Assembly, will be addressing world leaders in the evening of Tuesday at about 6p.m. local time.

The Nigerian leader will be the fifth African leader to speak on day one of the gathering and 14th speaker out of 20 leaders slated to speak on Tuesday.