Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the 1,411 Nigerian delegates at the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, Labour Party (LP) chieftain Tanko Yunusa has called on the Federal Government to disclose the number of delegates it sponsored to the event.
Yunusa, who serves as the presidential campaign spokesman for the Labour Party, expressed his concerns during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, addressing the criticisms surrounding the size of the country’s delegation to the summit.
He questioned whether there was any official communication from the government to the Nigerian people regarding the delegation’s size. Yunusa emphasized the lack of transparency, stating, “There was no communication. So you could find it very difficult to understand exactly how they came about that particular number.”
Yunusa pointed out that various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had the opportunity to secure international funding for their trips. However, he insisted that the government should have publicly disclosed the number of Nigerian delegates it sponsored.
“The question we should ask is: Was there any communication by the government to the people of Nigeria that we are going with ‘x’ amount of numbers? There was no communication. So you could find it very difficult to understand exactly how they came about that particular number,” he said on Monday.
“There are various NGOs that have the opportunity to get international funding to sponsor their trips. But what we are saying is that the number of Nigeria delegates sponsored by the government should have been made public for us to know.”
The increased cost of living following the fuel subsidy removal has fueled public discontent, and Yunusa believes that clarification from the government is essential. He challenged the government, stating, “If the government is saying that they didn’t sponsor all of the 1,411 delegates, let them give us the delegate number that the government-sponsored.”
Yunusa criticized the lack of transparency, describing the trip as more of an excursion than a mission to benefit Nigeria. He expressed his disappointment, stating, “Everything was kept in its crude and the only thing we saw was the number of 1,411 people going to Dubai for what I will call ‘Come, let us go and chop and relax’ rather than you ‘Come, let us go and make money for Nigeria.'”
Raising concerns about accountability, Yunusa accused the government of a history of wasteful spending and concealing information from the public. He stated, “This is not the first time; they already have a track record and the people have accused the government of wasteful spending. So, they should have been more careful as regards when they were going to Dubai,” he said.
“But anyway, the problem is that the government itself does not really care what the people feel. They hold them in distrust and these are some of the lies that are in the system that Nigerians are demanding for accountability.”
In response to the criticism, the presidency asserted that the government did not sponsor all of the delegates, emphasizing that attendees from various sectors, including the private sector and civil society groups, register independently for COP summits.
“It is important to state here that delegates from all countries whether from government, private sector, media, and civil society groups attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees is registered against their countries of origin,” presidential aide Temitope Ajayi said.
“This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not mean everyone who registered is physically present.”