CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address a joint sitting of the St Lucia parliament on June 30, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire has said.
He told Parliament that the session will take place at the William Jefferson Clinton Ballroom at Sandals Grande, in Gros Islet, north of here, as part of President Tinubu’s official state visit from June 28 to July 4.
Hilaire told legislators that Tinubu’s itinerary would include additional official engagements, saying, “he will also have a couple of other official activities, and further details will be shared with the public at a later date.”
Hilaire urged St. Lucians to extend a warm welcome to the Nigerian head of state, saying, “We have a tremendous reputation, especially in the tourism industry, for hosting guests in St. Lucia
“For many years, St. Lucians have called for stronger ties with Africa, given our heritage. And here, we have an opportunity to host one of our more outstanding leaders of an African country, in this case, Nigeria. We want to appeal to the public and to everyone to show that graciousness that we’ve gotten accustomed to,” he added.
“In moving this resolution for a joint sitting, we all look forward to the message that the president will convey to the people of St. Lucia. Please accept in advance all our apologies for any inconvenience, and I ask that the public cooperate with all lawful directions given by the police.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre extended an invitation to the leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to visit St. Lucia during Tinubu’s visit for formal talks to explore avenues for cooperation in areas such as economic development, education, infrastructure, and diplomatic exchange.
The OECS comprises the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, and Anguilla.
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