The House of Representatives has vowed to protest the life, property and interest of Nigerians in the diaspora.
The Chairman, House of the Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, at the sitting of the committee, said the lawmakers were ready to defend the rights and integrity of citizens in other countries.
Akande-Sadipe said, “This committee will seriously engage other stakeholders in addressing all issues confronting citizens outside the shores of our dear nation. Let me reiterate that the era where Nigerians in the Diaspora are treated as filth without commensurate response to the nationals of those countries are gone.
“We will also synergise with other stakeholders to make Nigeria, a nation where its citizen will no longer be migrating in droves seeking greener pasture elsewhere.
“At one point in my life, I was a Nigerian in the Diaspora, so I understand the problems Nigerians in the Diaspora faced at that time. New problems have come up since the years that I left the Diaspora to come to Nigeria to help build my nation. This is the ultimate among all democratic dividends that the political elite must deliver to masses and this committee will vigorously pursue this.”
The chairman noted that the committee was charged with promoting the exchange of ideas between the home country and Nigerians in the Diaspora and collecting and maintaining data on Nigerians in the diaspora from consulates, ministries of foreign affairs, education, justice, population registers, censuses and employment agencies as well as statistics divisions of international organisations and the International Census Bureau for domestic planning and uses.
She added that other responsibilities include initiating policies needed to recognise and harness the potential of Nigerians in the Diaspora, in support of development and growth in both their home and host countries.
“Encouraging and monitoring Diaspora networks and organisations and assisting in the realisation of their agenda, and promoting institutional change to help public servants collaborate effectively with Diaspora representatives.
“Participating in dialogues with governments, regional and local authorities on Diaspora matters in their home and host countries.”
Akande-Sadipe stressed, “It is pertinent to state that this committee is charged with onerous task of overseeing the efforts of the Federal Government in addressing all diaspora issues, evolve strategies in safeguarding Nigerians in Diaspora and their interests in any other nation of the world.
“We must communicate with our Nigerians in the Diaspora. We must get them to understand what is truly going on at home, not from the social media but from facts and figures. Therefore, we must champion a new relationship between Nigerians in the Diaspora and the political representatives at home here in Nigeria.”
