President Goodluck Jonathan has arrived Canada for the G-8 outreach programme for invited heads of state . The summit is taking place at the Deerhurst Resort, Muskoka,Ontario. He will also be attending the G-20 Business Forum in Toronto, where he is to deliver an address.
In a statement yesterday by his press office,the president arrived at the Infield terminal of Lester Pearson International Airport, Toronto at 6.00p.m (local time), 10.45p.m Nigerian time and was received on arrival by Mr. Peter Kent, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs of Canada. Also on hand to receive him was the Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Agumojobia and the Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, Prof. Ignatius Hagher. The President was accompanied by Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State and his Osun State counterpart, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. The President’s total entourage is made up of 32 persons.
President Jonathan performed his first assignment soon after arrival by meeting with the Nigerian community and friends of Nigeria in Canada. The event, held at the Marriot Easton Centre in Downtown Toronto, witnessed an unprecedented assemblage of professional Nigerians in Canada and friends of Nigeria who have distinguished themselves in various disciplines and multi-dimensional areas of expertise.
Speaking at the occasion, the President said he was elated by the calibre of Nigerians in Canada and hoped that they will form the nucleus of the vision of harnessing the talents and abilities of Nigerians in the Diaspora for the development of our country.
The president noted that societies are developed by human beings, “and all the countries we know were developed by people. It therefore means that we must collectively develop our country.”
The President used the occasion to assure Nigerians especially those in Diaspora that the administration was committed to conducting free and fair elections in 2011.He promised to ensure that results of election would be declared at the polling stations