Federal Government is to adopt multi-track approach in furthering Nigeria’s diplomatic gains, despite commitment to foriegn investment and economic diplomacy.
Onwuliri, who revealed this in an interview with journalists on the sideline of the ongoing 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said Nigeria must derive all benefits in its existing bilateral and multilateral relationships, while also exploring all other avenues to bring opportunities to the nation and the citizenry.
As part of the benefits of the new approach, Nigeria’s delegation to the ongoing UN Assembly has so far finalized both bilateral and multilateral agreements with over 20 countries.
The minister explained that in achieving optimum gains to the citizenry, no nation must be under-estimated.
She however disclosed that in the face of the renewed drive for foreign investments, the Federal Government has indicated its intention to tackle the influx of foreign workers into the country.
The move, she said, is designed to prevent foreign workers from taking up jobs that Nigerians can do.
Onwuliri explained that the ministry would direct all Nigerian missions abroad to ensure that foreign investors coming into the country do not flood Nigeria with their nationals.
She said although Nigeria welcomes foreign investments, it would not allow anything that would harm the efforts of government to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country.
Beyond the instruction to Nigerian embassies, she also hoped that Nigerians and the nation’s security agencies would be alert to ensure that such possible influx of foreign workers was prevented.
“I want to believe that Nigerians should be alert, all those dealing with foreign investments, foreign investors and foreigners.
“First of all, for us in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will even instruct our embassies that anybody bringing in foreign investments is welcome but what we will not want will be people bringing in their own nationals to come and take over the jobs Nigerians can do because that will not help our drive for employment for young Nigerians.
“That is part of what we are doing to ensure that the right things are done. The Ministry of Trade and Investment would have put in place policies that will help to further control excesses of those who are coming in to invest in our country.”
The minister added: “I want to believe that the security agencies also will be at alert around people who are just coming in but we can only say that these are what they can do but the main thing is with the Nigerians who are interacting with these people, who are with them to be able to give information if Nigerians are not being treated well. Those will be taken up. I think that is also important.”
On the welfare of Nigerians abroad, she said efforts would be made to ensure that they are better treated by embassy officials as government would not tolerate ill- treatment of Nigerians who have no home except the embassies in foreign lands.
Noting that government was still receiving complaints from Nigerians living abroad, she revealed that arrangements were already being made to improve the performance of the embassies to make them alive to their responsibilities.
“In fact, we have started discussion on that. First of all, we want to ensure that our own staff are doing what they are supposed to do because we still have complaints from Nigerians about the treatment they get from our embassies and I believe that has to stop because if you are sent to a foreign land to take care of Nigerians and you are not doing that, then you should come home.
“So, that is another angle that I am going to pursue to ensure that Nigerians get benefit for their money. Anybody you send out there is in the employment of the federal government and he is being paid salary. So, he should work.
“It is totally unacceptable to me that Nigerians in foreign lands would want the assistance of the embassy which is like home, the only home they have there and they are not getting that. So, it is one area we are going to pursue,” she said.
