The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abike Dabiri- Erewa

  • Nigerians in Diaspora seek Buhari’s intervention on voting right

    Nigerians in the Diaspora have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the possibility of including them to vote during elections in the country.

    Mr Obed Monago, the continental Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO) , stated this at an interactive session between the president and the Nigerians in Diaspora in America, on the sideline of the ongoing 73rd UN General Assembly in New York.

    The meeting was convened by the Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

    Monago also called on the Independent Electoral Commission and the National Assembly to facilitate the amendment of the relevant sections of the Electoral Act to accommodate people living outside the country in the electoral process.

    He said that Nigerians in Diaspora should be given opportunity to exercise their franchise wherever they lived for a number of reasons.

    He said that Nigerians living outside the country should have the right to vote because they were citizens of Nigeria interested in the affairs of their own country.

    He said: “The Diaspora should be allowed to vote because they make considerable contribution to the economy through huge financial inflow.’

    Read Also: 2019: Buhari assures Nigerians in diaspora

    According to him, there is a sizable amount of Nigerian citizens living outside the country; and Diaspora voting is consistent with global best practices.

    In an interview with newsmen, the Chairman, NIDOA U.S., Mrs Patience Key, urged all Nigerians in the U.S. to join efforts to improve Nigeria’s economy.

    We have seen it all in America so we can replicate such development in our homeland, Nigeria,” she said..
    She stated that many Nigerians in the U.S. were successful individually but not collectively.

    Key advised that working collectively was vital for nation building, development and transformation
    She noted that individual successes were good but collective effort could not be undermined as it produced more outstanding results.

  • Presidency worries over killing of another Nigerian in S. Africa

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has expressed worry over the killing of another Nigerian in South Africa.

    The Nigeria Mission in South Africa had on Sunday confirmed the killing of Mr Ozumba Tochukwu-Lawrence, by an unknown gunman in the country.

    The Nigeria Consulate-General in South Africa said that the ugly incident was said to have occurred at 10 Koppe, Middleburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa, on July 6.

    The mission said that Lawrence was shot six times by his assailant and died before reaching hospital.

    Dabiri-Erewa in short message sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja described the recent killing as unfortunate.

    She said that further enquiry over Nigeria issue with South Africa should be directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    ”All enquiries should be directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama  who has vowed to take decisive action with the new Foreign Affairs Minister in South Africa.”

    Dabiri-Erewa expressed disappointment over an early warning signal put in place by both ministries, which she said, had still not been implemented.

    She stated that no fewer than 117 Nigerians were extra-judicially killed in South Africa between 2016 and 2018 for one flimsy reason or the other.

    She said that many more had followed since then.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that killing of Nigerians in South Africa had been on the increase in recent times.

    Before the latest one, there was the assassination of ThankGod Okoro, who was reportedly shot dead in Hamburg, Florida West Rand, Johannesburg, on April 9, 2018, by the South African Police Flying Squad.

    There was also the killing of Clement Nwaogu in April, a father of two who was burnt to death by his assailant.

    These wanton killings of Nigerians in South Africa had sparked a number of protests there.

    For demanding justice on behalf of their fallen compatriots, 14 of the protesters were taken into custody and branded drug peddlers.

  • 27 Nigerians languishing in Tanzania prisons without trial

    A former Chairman of the Law Society Charity organization, Nigel Doddy, on Wednesday raised alarm about the cases of 27 Nigerians languishing in Tanzania prisons without trial.

    He took the matter to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Doddy, who is from the United Kingdom and had visited Tanzanian prisons, urged the Nigerian government to step in and ensure that the Nigerians get justice.

    He said: “I’m here to follow up on some reports I gathered in Tanzania two years ago, concerning Nigerians being detained without trial. I was able to identify 27 Nigerians who were detained at the time without trial

    “Importantly, at least four of them remain detained today. The problem is detention without trial. I’m not concerned about whether they are guilty or innocent, what I am concerned about is that they should be taken to courts for trial.

    “The delays provide opportunities for evidences to get lost or stolen.” he said

    He pointed out that Tanzanian lawyers have been extorting monies from those Nigerians in prisons without doing anything for them.

    He also said that the other issue that concerns him was the humanitarian matter concerning Nigerians in Tanzania.

    According to him, he was able to identify three humanitarian cases.

    He said “The first was a pastor being detained for immigration reasons, awaiting deportation back to Nigeria. For six to eight months, this has not been done. Most seriously, a youth who also has immigration issues and in mental hospital, was sent to prison. He has been there for several months, and I think the Nigerian high commissioner should take action to secure his return to Nigeria

    “The third humanitarian issue is a Nigerian woman who has been sentenced to life imprisonment, clearly guilty. She should be repatriated to Nigeria to serve her sentence here.” he said

    He also alleged of rampant stereotype issues against any Nigerian entering Tanzania.

    While noting that diplomatic missions cannot interfere with judicial processes of other countries, he said that they can mount pressure on officials of the country to respect their own rules.

    Speaking at the brief meeting, Dabiri-Erewa, thanked him for his concern for the 27 Nigerians in Tanzania prisons.

    “We will look at these matters and ensure that justice is done quickly.” she said

    She assured that the new Nigeria High Commissioner in Tanzania would be on top of the issues.

    She also appealed to Nigerians wherever they go to continue to remain good ambassadors of Nigeria.

    For the woman sentenced to life imprisonment in Tanzania, she noted that nothing can be done with her case since there is no transfer treaty between Nigeria and Tanzania.

  • Killings: Dabiri-Erewa warns Nigerians to be careful in London

    The Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs to the President, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has warned Nigerians living in London to be careful and show restraint, following killings in the city.

    “The killing of black people, especially those of Nigerian origin in London, was “worrisome and disturbing,” the BBC quoted Dabiri-Erewa as saying in a statement issued by her office.

    “A total of 50 black people, mainly young, are reported to have been stabbed or gunned down in London since January

    “This included nine Nigerian youth killed in London and other parts of the United Kingdom,” the statement added.

    According to the statement, Dabiri-Erewa had written a protest letter to the UK High Commissioner in Nigeria, demanding investigation and justice on the incident.

  • Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s latest move

    Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s latest move

    High society ‘big girl’ and presidential adviser on diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, is ready to tell anyone who cares to listen how much her constituency means to her. The ex-House of Representatives member is joined to the hip in a marriage of love and service with her Ikorodu Federal Constituency.
    Throughout her time in the lower chamber, she never missed a chance to funnel fund in her people’s direction, a gesture which elevated her to the status of a goddess among the worshipful masses. Even after she left office and was appointed SSA on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to the president, her mind never strayed too far from her community’s needs.
    The Ikorodu native has been putting smiles on the faces of the downtrodden in the area for a long time, as part of her service to humanity. The broadcaster-turned-politician is currently cooking up a new poverty alleviation scheme which will no doubt taste delicious in the famished mouths of the less-privileged.

  • PHOTO: Abike Dabiri receives man who returned N150m wrongfully paid into his account in Qatar

    PHOTO: Abike Dabiri receives man who returned N150m wrongfully paid into his account in Qatar

    Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa , SSA Foreign Affairs and Diaspora received Mr Michael Jonathan Asemota, a Nigerian based in Qatar who returned N150 million wrongfully paid into his account in Qatar.
    Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa , SSA Foreign Affairs and Diaspora received Mr Michael Jonathan Asemota
    Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa , SSA Foreign Affairs and Diaspora receiving Mr Michael Jonathan Asemota
  • Abike Dabiri hails Nigerian for returning N150m wrongfully sent into his account

    Abike Dabiri hails Nigerian for returning N150m wrongfully sent into his account

    Abike Dabiri – Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has hailed a Nigerian, Michael Asemota, for returning QR1,502,000 ($441,127.99) about N150 million wrongfully posted into his account in Qatar.

    Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Special Assistant on Media to Abike Dabiri-Erewa said in a statement  that the SSA gave the commendation when she received Asemota in her office on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The SSA said that such a rare display of honesty and sincerity from a Nigerian in the Diaspora had given the country as other Nigerians living in Qatar a good image.

    She urged Asemota to continue to be a good ambassador of Nigeria and implore other Nigerians in the Diaspora to emulate the positive image he has given to Nigeria in Qatar .

    “With this exceptional act of honesty, you have given a positive image to Nigerians and Nigeria in Qatar, and indeed, world over.

    “We are truly proud of you and urge you to continue to extol the virtues and strength of the Nigerian heritage of honesty, integrity and honour.

    “Your shinning beacon serves as inspiration to the Youth of Nigeria’’, Dabiri-Erewa stated in a letter of commendation personally signed by her and given to Asemota.

    Asemota, a native of Edo state but based in Doha, Qatar, had opened an account with a cheque of QR150, 200 with an undisclosed commercial bank, where he is the sole signatory of the account.

    “I got back home, I received an alert showing that a QR1,502,000 had been credited into my account by mistake instead of QR150,200.

    “I went to see the manager to report the error of QR1, 502,000 deposited into my account. After checking for confirmation, the manager gave me a warm handshake in appreciation,” he said.

    Asked why he alerted the bank about the error, Asemota said: “I knew the money did not belong to me and should not be in my account in the first place, so there were no motives and temptations to keep it.”

    He said the singular act had given Nigeria and Nigerians positive image in Qatar in the midst of bad stories of Nigeria emanating from the country.

    Asemota is an official of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation-Qatar (NIDO-Qatar), the umbrella body of Nigerian residents in the country.

    NAN

  • FG evacuates 1,030 stranded Nigerians from Libya in 2 days

    FG evacuates 1,030 stranded Nigerians from Libya in 2 days

    The Federal Government on Monday said it evacuated 1,030 stranded Nigerian migrants from Libya between Jan. 7 and Jan 8, 2018.

    Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja, the Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency, disclosed this at a joint news conference by the Federal Government delegation to Libya.

    Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, had on Jan. 5 led a delegation on a fact-finding mission to Libya to secure the release of Nigerian migrants stranded in that country.

    The delegation comprised of Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and Muhammad Babandede, Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

    Others were Julie Okah-Donli, Director General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Sadiya Umar-Faruq, Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees.

    Maihaja told newsmen that the returnees were — 485 — who came back on Sunday and 545 who came back on Monday, noting that they were part of the 5,037 stranded Nigerians identified for evacuation back home.

    He stated that a reception centre approved by President Muhammadu Buhari had been set up in Port Harcourt, Rivers for the returnees.

    According to him, the returnees on arrival will be formally received and profiled before being transported to their various states.

    He said that the reception centre was organised in such a way that the Ministry of Health provided facilities to look after those with health-related problems.

    He explained that those who were critically ill were taken to University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital for treatment.

    He added that the returnees would be profiled through the Immigration, Directorate of State Service and other agencies, emphasising that those with criminal tendencies and ISIS inclination would be taken
    care of by relevant agencies.

    Maihaja said the delegation had 21 days to complete its operation.

    The Foreign Affairs Minister also said the delegation was in Libya to engage with Libyan Government at the highest level to facilitate the evacuation of the stranded Nigerian migrants from the North African country.

    Onyeama said the Nigerian mission in Libya was coordinating the identification of the Nigerian migrants with the support of International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

    According to him, they are being joined by a technical team comprising representatives from NEMA, Immigration and other relevant Nigerian government agencies.

    The minister said that the political and security challenges in that country made it difficult to secure the evacuation of some Nigerians back home.

    He added that “there are different centres of power in that country. The central government recognised by the UN and AU do not have full control of the territories controlled by rebels.”

    He pointed out that there were over 50 detention camps in Libya, many of them under the control of rebels and militia groups.

    The minister said that the young Nigerians being trafficked were shattered and battered and seen as a commodity to be traded for economic gains.

    He said the Libyan Government blamed the criminal elements for the human trafficking business, noting that the president was keen at dissociating the ordinary Libyan people from the narrative.

    He noted that there were complaints about how some migrants in detention camps were being exploited by government officials for economic gains.

    He said Nigerians who were residing in Libya legally complained of harassment by Libyan Government officials who they said destroyed their passports and other residency papers.

    The NAPTIP Director-General said the agency would profile the returnees to identify those who were real victims of trafficking.

    Okah-Donli said “the returnees would be counselled by trained personnel and those with a medical condition would be treated at the agency’s facilities.”

    She said the rehabilitation period would last for six months during which the returnees would be trained on different skills acquisition and empowered with tools.

    “We will monitor them for about two years to ensure that they don’t re-embark on the treacherous journey,” she added.

  • Aisha Buhari arrives Katsina to inaugurate maternity clinic

    Aisha Buhari arrives Katsina to inaugurate maternity clinic

    The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, on Tuesday arrived Katsina State to inaugurate children and maternity clinic at the General Hospital, Daura.

    The children and maternity clinic was built and equipped by Buhari through her NGO, “Aisha Buhari Foundation’’, which also catered for the health needs of under-privileged families in the country.

    The aircraft conveying the wife of the president and her entourage landed at the Katsina International Airport at about 10 a.m.

    She was accompanied by the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Toyin Saraki, Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehenire, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Administration), Dr Hajo Sani.

    Read also: Aisha Buhari provides free medical services for 3,000 patients in Zamfara

    Others are the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the former Deputy Governor of Plateau, Mrs Pauline Tallen, and wife of Benue Governor, Mrs Eunice Ortom, among others.

    The wife of the President was received at the airport by the Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari and some members of the National Assembly led by Senate leader, Sen. Ahmed Lawal.

    During the visit, the wife of the President is expected to inaugurate and hand over the facility to the Katsina State Government as part of her contributions to the health and physical well being of women and children in the state.

    NAN

  • Another 257 Nigerians arrive from Libya

    Another 257 Nigerians arrive from Libya

    A few hours after 144 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya, another aircraft carrying 257 of their compatriots on Wednesday landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, Mr Joseph Alabi, confirmed this in an interview in Lagos.

    Alabi said the returnees arrived aboard a Libyan Airlines aircraft at the Cargo Wing of the airport at about 1.30 a.m.

    He said they were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organisation for Migration ( IOM ) and the European Union ( EU ) after being stranded in the volatile North African country enroute Europe.

    Alabi said “We received another batch of Nigerians early this morning from Libya.

    “They comprised of 65 adult females, 179 adult males, seven children and six infants.”

    He also confirmed that four of the returnees had medical cases and were promptly taken away on an ambulance for treatment.

    According to him, the returnees were received by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, Nigerian Immigration Service, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

    Report says another set of 144 Nigerians had arrived on Tuesday at about 6.45 p.m. aboard a chartered Buraq Airlines aircraft with registration number 5A-DMG.

    They were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by the Wife of the President, Haija Aisha Buhari, represented by the Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode.

    Also on ground to receive them was the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa and officials of other government agencies.

    Report also says the Federal Government said it has a record of 2,778 Nigerian migrants registered in “accessible” detention camps in Libya, ready for repatriation.

    The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement signed by the Spokesperson, Mr. Tiwatope Elias-Fatile on Tuesday, said the country’s embassy in Libya had been visiting detention camps to identify Nigerians for registration.

    The ministry stated that those registered were issued Emergency Travel Certificates.

    Read also: More Nigerians return from Libya

    The ministry also explained that the embassy, in collaboration with the IOM, repatriates 250 migrants weekly and had returned 3,000 of them so far.

    “From the 2,778 registered Nigerians who are still in detention camps, another set of 250 Nigerian migrants will be arriving on Tuesday December 5 via the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, at 7.00pm, to be received by NEMA officials.

    “The Embassy, in collaboration with the IOM, repatriates 250 Nigerian migrants by flight to Lagos weekly – each flight can accommodate only 250 passengers.

    “The repatriation is a continuous exercise and the Embassy routinely issues the requisite travel documents to the migrants.

    “The Embassy will continue to engage the legitimate government in Libya and other stakeholders in addressing the plight of Nigerian migrants in that country.”

    The ministry further said the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, had invited the Nigerian Embassy’s Head of Mission, Mr. Iliya Fachano, to Abuja for consultations.

    “He is in Abuja already and during the period of the consultations, arrangements have been made for him to address press conferences on the issue.

    NAN