STATEMENT DELIVERED BY HER EXCELLENCY, DR. (MRS) N. N. AKANBI, AMBASSADOR

EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA TO THE

ROYAL KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS AT THE MEETING WITH  NIGERIAN COMMUNITY IN

THE RANDSTAND ON 12TH JULY, 2008

Fellow Nigerians,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is always a pleasure and honour each time I have the opportunity to be in your midst. On behalf of my staff and my humble self, I welcome all of you to this occasion, being the first of its kind after the presentation of my Letters of Credence to Her Royal Majesty, Queen Beatrix.  For those of you who found time to be present in my residence after the event on 18th June, 2008, I say thank you once again.

Brothers and Sisters,

 Allow me to briefly apprise you on the general situation at home and efforts by the present administration to tackle some of them. Suffice it to say, at this juncture, that the problems have been with us over time, hence the apparent difficulties in solving them.

The problem of the power sector, insecurity of persons and property, inadequate food security and the decay of our infrastructure, continue to remain the major focus of the administration of our President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.  Other areas of our attention include the menace of restiveness in the Niger Delta, vandalisation of public utilities and general disenchantment within the polity.  These problems are being addressed, in a systematic   manner, through the faithful implementations of the Seven-Points Agenda and the institutionalisation   of the Rule of Law.

Furthermore, in recognition of the rights of Nigerians living abroad and the need to protect them from unwholesome treatment by foreign countries, the Government has adopted and directed its Foreign Missions to vigorously implement its Citizens Diplomacy. This policy seeks, to, among other things, ensure that Nigerians aboard are fairly and humanely treated in accordance with international standards, under all circumstances.  To that end, governments that violate the rights of Nigerians should not expect the rights of their citizens living in Nigeria to be respected.  Nigerians should therefore be proud of their nationality and contribute positively to the development of the country.

To that end, I wish to reiterate my call to every one of you to always reach out to the Embassy whenever you can.  I assure you of my cooperation and that of my staff, and, together, we shall solve our problems.  As partners in projecting the positive image of our country, we should leave no stone unturned towards the realisation of our objectives.

I understand that owing to renovation work by this period of last year, the Embassy was unable to celebrate the National Day.  Now that the work is virtually completed, it is my hope and prayers that this important annual event will be organised.  To that end, an organising Committee, comprising some members of staff of the Embassy and the different sectors of the Nigerian Community, is being formed to plan the various aspects of the celebration.  Those of you that may not be in the Committee, but who have useful advise or suggestions to give, should feel free to forward them to the Committee.  I expect that, with your cooperation, assistance and sacrifice, this year’s celebration would be a thing of pride to all of us and our country.

May I use this opportunity, Ladies and Gentlemen, to formally launch the Identity Card Project, which the Embassy promised since over a year ago, but which due to logistical, financial and other factors, could not take-off. The purpose of the scheme is to enable the Embassy have an idea about the number of its nationals in order to enable us adequately cater for them.  In effect, there is no ulterior motive behind it.  I therefore urge all of you to acquire it, including those with Dutch Passports, for the cost of €5.00 only.  The fee will assist in meeting administrative cost and the sustenance of the project.

Finally, I wish to invite all of you to feel free to visit me at the Embassy 24/7 with or without any problem, to discuss issues that you know would enhance your welfare and the welfare of all our people in the Netherlands.  As Nigerians in Diaspora, we are all Ambassadors of our country.  The way we project ourselves is the way every other national in this country that we meet, will see us.  I want all of us to continue to endeavour to lift up the image of our country, to walk tall and proud as citizens of the greatest country in Africa and as worthy representatives of our tradition and culture.

Thank you for your attention.