The Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who is billed to set out to the United States of America on Saturday on an official visit has met with Umaru Abdul-muttalab, the father of the 23-year-old Nigerian, Farouk, who attempted to bomb an American aircraft on Christmas Day last year.

Dressed in white babanriga, the elder Muttalab came alone to the Presidential Villa and met with the Acting President behind closed doors for close to an hour but did not speak to the press afterwards.

However, he is believed to have discussed his earlier trip to the United States during which he met with American security officials who were in search of more clues and information his son�s failed terror attack and for which the young man is being prosecuted.

The act had caused America to put Nigeria on its terror watch-list, a development bitterly criticized by the Nigeria government which has been demanding a reversal of that policy by the US government.

Jonathan is bound for US on the invitation of American President Barak Obama to attend a maiden nuclear security summit organised by the American government but the trip offers him a good opportunity to personally present the federal government�s demands to the American president. The acting President is expected back home by Thursday next week.

This action by the Actiing President is deemed to be important because on the occurence of the attempted bombing of a US plane by Nigerian born Farouk Abdulmutallab, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua had been unavailable due to his ill health to comment or speak to the US government.

The acting president’s visit to the United states is coming on the heels of the recent agreement between Nigeria and the US to set up a Bi-national commission which is aimed at helping Nigeria promote good governance and fight corruption.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who faces terrorism charges in the Christmas bombing, has been cooperating with the FBI, providing information about his contacts in Yemen and the al Qaeda affiliate that operates there.