Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has hailed the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, saying it has a great role to play in Nigeria’s foreign relations.
Receiving the committee members, led by the chairperson, Rep. Abike Dabiri-Erewa in his office in Abuja on Sunday, the minister noted that it had been working with the ministry to keep the welfare of Nigerians abroad on the front burner.
He expressed delight in the committee’s positive interventions in the affairs of many Nigerians living abroad, especially those who had issues in their countries of residence.
Ashiru said that it was because of the importance the ministry attached to consular and Diaspora matters that it created a Diaspora Desk in all Nigeria embassies abroad.
“It is the responsibility of our embassies to associate with our nationals there and visit those in distress for possible assistance.’’
He said the ministry was collating data on Nigerians living abroad for use in planning both at home and abroad in such a way that it would be possible for the country to tap from their experience.
Ashiru, however, said the greatest challenge faced by the ministry was the involvement of Nigerians in drug trafficking and other nefarious activities thereby creating a bad image for the country.
He appealed to the committee to join the ministry in mounting an enlightenment campaign against the unpatriotic acts.
Earlier, Abike Dabiri-Erewa (AC N-Lagos) said the visit was part of the committee’s oversight functions to intimate the ministry with areas of collaboration and new developments in Diaspora Affairs.
She said her recent visit to some countries showed that Nigeria should be involved actively in Diaspora matters.
?The lawmaker expressed the need to take the country’s foreign policy to another level with the ministry paying more attention to the welfare of Nigerians living abroad.
“Nigerians are getting into trouble and the ministry is not intervening enough. We have Nigerians in prisons and being discriminated against in the U.S., UK, Egypt, India, Iran, Malaysia, Brazil, Singapore, Lebanon, Spain, Togo, China, Austria and so on.’’
Dabiri-Erewa reminded the ministry that July 25 is Nigeria Diaspora, and expressed the need to speed up preparations for the event.
She also expressed the need to have a Diaspora policy and comprehensive data of Nigerians living abroad to enable the country to tap the potentials of those doing well in their places of residence.
“Nigerians are not criminals; we are people of integrity; we are great people doing well all over. We need to celebrate and promote ourselves. Nobody will do it for us. We cannot say because of some few bad eggs, we will ignore the good ones.’’