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The immediate past Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Lagos state, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has called for the creation of Diaspora Commission and Database to know the number of Nigerians abroad.
Dabiri made the call in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital on Monday while delivering a joint Distinguished Personality Lecture at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan.
The broadcaster turned politician who represented Ikorodu between 2003 and 2015 urged President Muhammadu Buhari to enact good policy on Diaspora, ascent to the Diaspora bill and approve the creation of the Diaspora commission.
According to her, “There is no database of Diaspora in Nigeria, we are only dealing with estimate, there is a need for a proper Database for Nigerians in the Diaspora.
“There are many Nigerians suffering and doing well in the Diaspora, half of Sudan is Nigeria, Nigerian are doing well in Sudan, so there is a need for Diaspora Database which I hoped this government will do.
“The best professor anywhere in the world is Nigerian, it is annoying, what you hear about Nigeria is bad, prostitution, drugs.
Dabiri lamented the hardship many Nigerians are facing abroad, she declared that, “We have 600 Nigerians in the Indian prison, China is uncountable, there are many examples, in Libya, Ghadaffi was killing Nigerians like chicken, our people have been dying like chicken.
“We brought back 24 Nigerians from Libya prison, we brought them back, one them was a graduate of University of Nigeria, Nnsuka with his two children, even in South Africa, Nigerian are the largest in South Africa, some of them are not suppose to be in the prisons, the Nigerian government and the embassies should rise up.
“Even in Ghana, 40 % of foreign students in Ghana are Nigerian.
Dabiri implored the President Muhammadu Buhari government to do what he can do to arrest the situation where Nigerians abroad would be suffering unnecessarily.
The former Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs declared that Nigerians in Diaspora have many potentials noting that only in 2014, Nigerians in the Diaspora remitted about 21 billion Dollars apart from the domestic finances.
Dabiri also implored Nigerians to support her move to ensure Diaspora Database to know the number of Nigerians abroad for proper planning. She said this will allow help to vote abroad.
“Without a database, how do you plan, you cannot plan
She declared that Nigerians abroad deserves right to vote during elections.
“Nigerians abroad deserves right to vote, if small countries are doing it, we can also do it.”
Dabiri urged Nigerian government to emulate other countries such as India, Tunisia, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Somalia, Benin, Senegal among the 26 countries that have domesticated the Diaspora Commissions.
” There are about 26 countries with full ministries or Commission for Diaspora, Diaspora day in India is like their national day”.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Isaac Adewole who was represented by Professor Babatunde Salako noted that Nigeria should use the potentials and resources of the Diaspora as a strength and not as a curse.
He noted that it will be of help to Nigeria and Nigerians to make use of the expertise of those in the Diaspora in a meaningful way by encouraging them and allow them to come back and settle. without discrimination.
Adewole noted that the realization of the potentials and the importance of Diaspora made the Federal Government to declare a day as Diaspora day.
” As a University, we are in a prime position to encourage them, the university is doing well, the quality of the university will depend on the quality of her alumni.
“For us as a university of Ibadan, we are proud, we have many great Nigerians that the university has produced.
Courtesy- Nigeria Politics Online
