Chair of House Committee on Diaspora promises UK community she will fight for them

NIGERIANS living in the UK have been urged by Hon Rita Orji the new chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora to communicate their demands to lawmakers with a promise that she will follow up such demands and see them implemented.

 

Speaking in London yesterday during a town hall meeting with diasporans which took place at the high commission, Hon Orji said that she is a big supporter of many diasporan demands and wants to see them implemented. She added that issues like diaspora voting, the resettlement of returnees and guaranteeing diasporans first choice of refusal before offering jobs to foreigners are policies that need implementing.

 

Hon Orji said: "I sponsored a motion on the first refusal of diasporans who want to invest in Nigeria and told the House that that sometimes, you will see a Lebanese cook who will come to Nigeria and become an engineer. The potential of the diaspora has not been tapped into unlike in other places such as Indiana that is owned by Indians that have made a lot of money and sent it back to develop India.

 

"Many of your proposals end up in the dustbin because you do not send them through the right committee set up to handle them. You go through other avenues but before you know it, a Chinese person is implementing your ideas."

 

Calling for diasporans to write to her committee regularly on any issues that affect then, Hon Orji revealed how she had a recent SOS message from Japan about problems with passport processing and the matter has now been addressed. She assured diasporans that any issue which was brought to her attention would be taken up with the relevant minister.

 

At the widely-attended event organised by the Nigerian high commission in the UK in conjunction with Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (Nido) and the Nigerian Women in Diaspora Leadership Forum, Hon Orji also pledged to support the forthcoming Uncelebrated Nigerian Awards UK event coming up on September 24 in London. She added that the ocassion would serve as an ideal opportunity to uncover a lot of hidden talent.

 

Hon Orji added: "You diasporans have plenty of the skills and talents we need but we are still looking about for people to come and develop Nigeria. With the depreciation of the currency, we should use this opportunity to stop looking elsewhere and get the diaspora to do something about our economy."

 

Acting high commissioner Ambassador Simon Ogah used the occasion to ask for more government support for the mission and also called on diasporans to understand its problems. He apologised for a recent mix-up with passport issuance which resulted in people who paid for 64 page passports getting 32 page ones.

 

Giving a vote of thanks at the end, Henrietta Abraham, the chairperson of Nido South, urged diasporans not to use the opportunity to ask Hon Orji for contracts or favours. MBE recipient Yemisi Jenkins chaired the event, while other prominent community leaders there included Alex Achebe and Charles Sylvester the first and second vice presidents of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (Canuk) as well as its treasurer Ronke Adeagbo, Chief Adebayo Oladimeji, the chairman of the Nigerian Council of Elders and former mayors Kate Anolue and Adedamola Aminu.