A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, have come under fire in the Nigerian social media over their attendance of the World Economic Forum on Africa holding in South Africa amid protests by Nigerian and other countries against xenophobic attacks by South Africans.
Ezekwesili, who is the former presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria in the 2019 general elections, and Ovia were panellists at the ongoing international economic summit, despite the Federal Government shunning the forum to protest the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians residing in South Africa.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, had tweeted that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was to represent Nigeria at the WEF, but “he had called it off in reaction to these gruesome attacks on Nigerians.”
Nigerians expressed outrage on social media over Ezekwesili attendance at the forum with “Madam Oby” trending on Twitter by Wednesday evening.
See some tweets:
The Federal government boycotted the World Economic Forum Summit for a reason. Regardless the capacity in which you were invited, the only sensible thing to do is to stand behind your government. Madam Oby and Jim Ovia both deserve all the backlash they are receiving currently.
— Wale Adetona (@iSlimfit) September 4, 2019
To be truthful, I didn’t expect to see Madam Oby Ezekwesili & Mr Jim Ovia at #WEFAfrica19 in Durban, South Africa. Not at this time when the whole of Africa is disgusted with inaction of @CyrilRamaphosa in #XenephobicAttacks. It’s irresponsible & insensitive of them to be there.
— Olaudah Equiano® (@RealOlaudah) September 4, 2019
Madam Oby at the World Economic Forum going on in South Africa… The love for dollars and camera lights is more than those Nigerians that are being killed by South Africans… pic.twitter.com/dzreemUzEu
— KUKUTE (@Ade_Nurayn) September 4, 2019
Madam Oby and Jim Ovia… E for no be unah. What will it cost you to boycott WEF that it will not cost those that boycotted? Disappointed to say the least. pic.twitter.com/rOrHbYfE3X
— ????????Your Destiny Helper® (@AyanfeOfGod) September 4, 2019
Madam oby has always been a selfish and noise maker, a hustler she may not be able to refund if paid to attend World Economic Forum.
But my question is what Billionaire Jim Ovia doing in SA?
“Wealth cannot buy wisdom”.#XenophobiaInSouthAfrica #SayNoToXenophobia pic.twitter.com/o5NLOyHWfe
— Black St. Capital (@BlackStCapital) September 4, 2019
Madam oby is part of the people who want Nigerians to do revolution.
Madam oby can’t even respect Nigerians & boycott the weff programs in SouthAfrica despite what’s going on with the countries
Your favorite activist will come to twitter & call herself voice of the voiceless.???? pic.twitter.com/nym7utFih4
— QUDUS 1 (@Babatundequdu13) September 4, 2019
Shout out to those whose Nigerian interest mean little or nothing to them.
Madam oby and Jim ovia are the new faces of hypocrites. pic.twitter.com/daVhXUnYUC— Local Man Usen (@usenoliver) September 4, 2019
I’ve always had the greatest respect for Madam Oby and Mr Jim Ovia. I would have expected them to register their condemnation of the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians by pulling out of the WEF. As a people, we must be unanimous in our #SayNoToXenophobicAttacks message. Sad! pic.twitter.com/CziShpsS3Y
— EkeminiAbasi Macauley (@EkeminiMacauley) September 4, 2019
Why Madam Oby and Jim Ovia is trending.????
They attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2019 that is happening in South Africa. Kind of Unpatriotic????????????????#Nigeria #Africa #Lagos #Abuja #Portharcourt #News #trending pic.twitter.com/heLyjkdMRs— #Seefinish Insights, Nigeria (@seefinish) September 4, 2019
Madam Oby can’t be in G-Unit fo sho!
Imagine 50′ beefing with Ja Rule and u decided to go for his son’s penis circumcision ceremony!
Wakanda move is that— OSHOMAh (@JohnNetworQ) September 4, 2019
Ezekwesili, in a tweet said she used her plenary session at WEF to highlight issues around black on black violence.
I used my Plenary Session here at @WEF #AF19 to place #BlackOnBlackViolence #AttackOfNigerians #AttackOfOtherAfricans at CENTER of what will be discussed over the next 3 days.
S. Africa should not get off hosting global events and be a place that attacks Nigerians & others. No.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 4, 2019
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