Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, Qatar chapter, has urged the Federal Government to accord priority to the welfare and security of Nigerians living abroad.
The organisation urged the government to make the welfare of Nigerians living abroad the centerpiece of the Nigeria’s foreign policy.
NIDO-Qatar President, Victor Ikoli, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
Ikoli said: “The persecution of Nigerians abroad, the xenophobic attacks on them, and the recent killing of Elizabeth Ndubuisi-Chukwu, Deputy Director-General of the Chattered Insurance Institute of Nigeria in her hotel room in Johannesburg is worrisome.
“This incident, among others, increased the number of deaths of Nigerians so far recorded in South Africa to more than 100 in the past three years.
“In addition, a Nigerian PhD student in Malaysia, Thomas Ewansiha, was reported to have died while on detention in custody of immigration officials on July 5.
“Government should prioritise the welfare of Nigerians and also ensure the protection of their fundamental rights in any country where we have foreign missions and with whom we have diplomatic relations.”
The NIDO-Qatar president urged the government to always send people of proven diplomatic skills to countries it had bilateral relations with to encourage healthy international relations among their nationals.
He said that Nigerians in Diaspora “are the country’s greatest asset in the past years and now”.
Ikoli praised the leadership of NIDCOM and urged the commission to involve NIDO professionals and entrepreneurs in the implementation of economic projects to promote national economic growth.
He said: “We are confident that the commission will create an enabling environment for Nigerians abroad to contribute their quota to Nigeria’s growth.
“NIDCOM should make the welfare of NIDO members an area of focus.
“I was impressed with the large turnout of NIDO members and the leadership of the commission at the funeral of Ndubuisi-Chukwu in her home town.”
Ikoli added that although 11, 270 Nigerians were living in Qatar, the absence of a functional international passport production machine at the Nigeria embassy in that country was creating challenges in the area of passport renewal.
He said: “We have to wait every summer for a passport intervention team to come from the United Arab Emirates to process the applications for passport submitted by Nigerians.
“Presently, 400 Nigerians are waiting to renew their passports while others want fresh ones.
“Government should permanently station a passport machine at the embassy to ease the process of accessing passports especially considering the increasing population.”
He called for cooperation between NIDO and Nigerian missions abroad toward working assiduously for better service delivery to Nigerians living abroad.
Nigerians in Qatar want FG to prioritise welfare, safety of diasporans
