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Call to President Jonathan Over
Rights of Nigerians in Diaspora-By
Emmanuel Ajibulu
Newsdiaryonline Mon Feb 28,2011
It is a common perception that leaders are born, not made. This
may be true to some extent because many people display some
intrinsic traits right from birth, which put them in the
position where they are looked up as leaders. A person’s
authoritativeness, confidence in speech and action and the
ability to handle crisis without panic are considered some of
the most effective leadership qualities, which sets people apart
from the crowd.
There is no doubt that the 10 month old administration of His
Excellency President Goodluck Jonathan phenomenally witnessed
some good traits of leadership to a reasonable length, even
Nigerians in diaspora can attest to that fact. The recent
intervention of President Jonathan about stranded Nigerians in
Egypt, Libya and other troubled zones in the Middle East and
Northern Africa are enviable examples that cannot be downplayed.
Consequently this rare and commendable gesture of Mr President
has recently garnered support for him from Nigerians in diaspora
under the aegis of the New Nigeria Initiative for Development.
The group said leadership has remained the bane of Nigeria, and
that the outside world see Nigeria as 'corrupt' with bad image,
but with what is on ground, it is their fervent hope that
President Jonathan should be given a chance. Continuing, they
commended the 2011 Budget proposal, stating that the aspect of
the budget to tackle decaying national infrastructure, repair
roads, restore the dignity and lost glory of the education
sector and the health sector is a right step in the right
direction.
Specifically, one Chief Ikiogha said, "We urge support for the
government of President Jonathan to enable it to carry out
substantive reforms in the administrative structure of INEC,
through application of lessons learnt in the recent state
elections, and through comprehensive consultations with civil
society organizations, political parties and relevant experts.
We believe that it is through a consultative process that
electoral institutions would gain public trust". According to
the group, "we support, promotion and pursue the election of the
right candidate for the office of the President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria in 2011 as a panacea and imperative for the
resuscitation of the ailing Nigerian economy and for the pursuit
of the total integration of all ethnic groups in the Nigerian
polity". For this, it said, " in return, we pledge that the days
of the brain drain are over as we shall replace it with brain
gain, judging by the competent leadership that President
Jonathan have exemplified in such a short time since becoming
president. We must confess that is largely because of this, that
we in Nigerians in the Diaspora want to identity with his
administration to achieve a brain gain."
They also pledged to initiate and pursue a robust programme to
educate the executive and legislative arms of government in the
various Nigerian states to elevate their understanding of the
magnitude and scope of the constitutional powers in order to
buffer each other arm from the tendencies of corruptive
encroachment. I think with a group which has so much belief and
confidence in President Jonathan, the interest of such group and
those they represent should not be undermined in the overall
interest of our great country.
However, President Jonathan is expected to exhibit once again
his good leadership qualities by investigating the killing of 18
Nigerians in Equatorial Guinea allegedly on the order of the
government, even as survivors demand $158 million compensation
from the government of that country. Last week (February 25,
2011) some group of Nigerians, (Nigeria-Malabo Boat Operators
Association) petitioned Nigerian government about this barbaric,
criminal, odious and inhuman activity by the government of
Equatorial Guinea. The petition, which was signed by their
Chairman, Capt. Edet Bassey Archibong and Secretary Capt. Nnani
Polycarp Nnamdi, said they were victims of “Malabo Attack of
February 17, 2009 by the Government of Equatorial Guinea
in which 18 Nigerians had unjustly lost their lives as a
result of the attack that also brought untold hardship to our
members.”
They said “on Feb. 17, 2009 some armed men suspected by the
Government of Equatorial Guinea to be militants, invaded the
Malabo prisons and released four white men imprisoned for
alleged involvement in a coup attempt. “Then on Feb. 17, 2009
the Malabo Police descended on innocent Nigerian traders,
businessmen, seamen and sailors at the Malabo port and arrested
128 of our members accusing us of being the militants. “The
Police shot and killed Mr. Sola Jude and Mrs. Affiong Etim,
tortured and maimed our members and 12 died in detention. The
victims were detained for three months under severe and inhuman
conditions. We lost our boats and rental values of the boats per
week.” The angry boat operators who had planned a protest at the
Equatorial Guinea Consul in Calabar said, “we lost our
merchandise and business profits.
We lost our means of livelihood. We lost our humanity and
lives. “When they discovered that we were not militants they
deported us by air from Malabo airport to Ikeja airport with our
pocket empty.” They stated that the money represented the
group’s “valuation report plus interest for two years at 10 per
cent compound interest amounting to 158 million US Dollars as
basic compensation including interests.”
According to them, the Equatorial Guinea’s Consulate in Nigeria
and the people of that country should “pay compensation for our
10 cargo boats, one fishing boat and assorted merchandise in the
cargo boats, money and other items.’’
They stated that the items were “illegally and unlawfully
confiscated” from members of the association “by agents of the
Government of Equatorial Guinea” during the attack. According to
them, the President Mbasogo Nguema Administration’s action on
their members on February 17, 2009 constituted an abuse of their
dignity and fundamental human rights. They said that Nguema
would also pay compensation for the lives of the 18 Nigerians so
far killed by the Equatorial Guinea attack of February17, 2009
on the Nigerian businessmen. Available facts showed that to
avoid break down of law and order as claimed by the security
agents, Cross River Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samson Wudah, on
Friday in Calabar stopped the planned demonstration and promised
to convey their grievances to the appropriate authorities. May
be we should even accuse Equatorial Guinea of cowardice on poor,
defenceless black foreigners especially Nigerians, while the
real destroyers of their destiny are left untouched even at
their own detriment... Well that should be a topic for another
day. But the facts remain that Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
must be called to order.
As a concerned Nigerian, I do not expect this petition to be
swept under the carpet; rather it should be given due attention,
and the interest of
Nigerians involved must be protected, also the justice and
compensation they seek must not be subverted. It won’t be out of
order if a committee is set up by Mr President to investigate
this condemnable and inhuman treatment on Nigerian citizens,
such that full scale investigation into the remote and immediate
causes of the death would be established. This is one case too
many and we need a holistic look at these incessant cases. The
last time it was in Switzerland, the Ambassador apologised and
that was the end of it, there were also xenophobic killings of
Nigerians in South Africa sometime in 2008. Killings of
Nigerians happened in China, Poland, almost everywhere. This is
a clarion call to our government at all levels to firmly stand
for the protection of Nigerians in the diaspora especially those
pursuing their legitimate business not to be allowed to suffer
injustice, let alone lost of life. I hope President Goodluck
Jonathan will engage the National Security Adviser, Andrew Azazi,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia, Justice Mohammed
Bello Adoke (SAN), the House Committee on Diaspora, and other
stakeholders to seek redress over this disheartening issue so
that justice would be done. God bless Nigeria!
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