Oil, Telecom Firms Absent At Presidential Flood Fund Lunch

Telecommunications and oil giants in the country, which operatesin Nigeria failed  to show up at the Presidential committee fund raising dinner held on Thursday night at the presidential villa, Abuja.
AlhajiAlikoDangote, business mogul, who donated N2.5 billion at the event, promised to workwith the Minister of Petroleum Resources and her Communications counterpart to ensure that the firms turn in their donations.
The money realised by the committee at the dinner amounted to N1.35 billion, both in cash and
pledges made.
The event was part of efforts made by the flood committee set up by  President Goodluck Jonathan and co-chaired by Dangote and OlisaAgbakoba (SAN) on October 11, 2012 to raise funds for the flood victims in addition to the N17 billion announced  by the federal government for the victims across the country.
But telecommunication firms, including MTN, Etisalat, and Airtel and the major oil firms refused to attend or send representatives to the event.

Chairman of the event, Dangote was palpably disappointed at the absence of the multinational firms after inviting MTN to make its donation and his request was met with silence.
Members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), including the President, his deputy, Head of Service, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President and ministers donated N1 million each, totalling N45 million.

When Dangote insisted that the donation from FEC was too small, President Jonathan announced a donation of N2.5 billion by the Federal Government, saying it was just to assist the corporate bodies since government had earlier approved N17. 6 billion for the project.