TheNewsGuru

Tag: Geoffrey Onyeama

  • JUST IN: Nigerian students from Sudan reportedly stranded in Sahara desert [VIDEO]

    JUST IN: Nigerian students from Sudan reportedly stranded in Sahara desert [VIDEO]

    Nigerian students being evacuated from war-torn Sudan are stranded in the Sahara desert, according to a lady seen in a video trending on social media.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the video and the claim of the lady in the video are yet to be confirmed to be true.

    However, the lady claimed the buses evacuating Nigerians were stopped in the middle of the Sahara, as the drivers refused to continue the journey because ‘they were not paid’.

    Watch video below:

    Recall that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama on Wednesday confirmed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved $1.2 million for the immediate evacuation of Nigerians stranded in the war-torn country.

    According to Onyeama, the $1.2 million was for hiring of luxury buses that will transport the stranded Nigerians from Khartoum, the Sudanese capital to Egypt, from where they will be airlifted to Nigeria.

    Update shortly…

  • NiDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri, condemns Poland over detention of Nigerians due to their black skin

    NiDCOM boss, Abike Dabiri, condemns Poland over detention of Nigerians due to their black skin

    Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has condemned Poland for detaining Nigerians and other African students who fled war-torn Ukraine due to their black skin.

     

    Expressing displeasure over the development, she described it as wrong and traumatic.

     

    Dabiri-Erewa was speaking at the commencement of a two-day Psychosocial Trauma Clinic for Ukraine returnees on Thursday.

     

    The clinic was organised by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NiDCOM and Project Victory Call (PVC) Initiative, Naija.

     

    Dabiri-Erewa said that some Nigerian students who fled war-torn Ukraine to neighbouring countries of Poland and Hungary were now in detention in Poland.

     

    She said the development was unacceptable by the Federal Government.

     

    She lauded the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, for making it possible for the stranded students to return home “imagine we are not able to bring them back home look at what is happening in Poland?

     

    “Some Africans and Nigerians decided not to return home, now Polish authorities are now going around and capturing blacks and putting them in detention camps.

     

    “So, those Nigerians who refused to return are at a risk, some are in detention centres in Poland and they are in a traumatic condition.

     

    “However, inasmuch as Nigeria has given them the opportunity to come back home and they refused, it does not mean the Polish authority will grab them and put them in detention centres.

     

    “ The Federal Government is now calling on the Poland authority to release the blacks in their custody.

     

    It is not right for them to detain the blacks because they decided to take cover in their country (Poland).

     

    “They are not putting whites in those detention centres, so send them back to their countries instead of capturing them in detention centres which is the height of racism in a war situation,” she said.

     

    NiDCOM Chairman speaking on the voluntary traumatic psychosocial recuperation exercise for the returned students by concerned Nigerians PVC Naija.

     

    This would subsequently spread to the six geo-political zones for easy access.

     

    Speaking also, the Federal Commissioner National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Mrs Imaan Suleiman, said the commission would provide offices across the country.

     

    She added that necessary tools and training for the psychosocial support to get to those in need.

     

    According to her, it was a worthy cause because mental health was key and different people react to trauma differently due to their resilience nature.

     

    The Student Union President of Nigerian Students in Ukraine, Fehintola Moses, appreciated the Federal Government, especially the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who he said personally reached out to him during the course of the repatriation.

     

    The student leader also thanked NiDCOM Chairman and the National refugee’s commission for their efforts in ensuring that Nigerian students were safely evacuated back home.

     

    Fehintola who narrated his experience during the Ukraine war appealed to the Federal Government for more assistance to enable them to continue with their studies when the situation calmed down.

     

    He also appealed to Nigerians to embrace peace and to say no to war.

     

    Dr Bolaji Akinyemi, the convener of Project Victory Call Initiative and the volunteers for the programme, said four psychologists were mobilised from Plateau and Sokoto States for the first phase of the programme.

     

    He added that “trauma has become a part of our lives and when we are faced with the triggers we need to nip it in the bud that was the reason for the programme,’’ he said.

  • Religious manipulation, reasons for disunity, conflict – Minister

    Religious manipulation, reasons for disunity, conflict – Minister

    Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has stated that the major reason for the insecurity challenges in Nigeria is religious manipulation targeted at the gullible ones to perpetuate conflict and disunity in the country.

    The Minister stated this during a national policy roundtable on the network of policymakers to support reconciliation, peace and security on Monday in Abuja.

    Newsmen reports that the event was organized by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), in collaboration with the International Center for Inter-religious; Intercultural dialogue, and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

    According to him, the communal lifestyle of Africans is largely expressed in religious beliefs, which facilitate solidarity, togetherness, love and the promotion of other values that are central to our human ecosystem.

    But regrettably, religion and communal living are painted as fundamentals that are inimical to peace, security and development.

    “The political history of post-independent Nigeria is awash with tragic instances of violent conflicts and acrimony.

    “And this is as a result of the manipulation of religion, and other identity markers amongst ourselves.

    “These acts of manipulation have resulted in structural, physical, psychological violence that has manifested itself in the destruction of lives and properties, mass displacements of people and other humanitarian crises, destitution, the rising rate of poverty and ethnoreligious suspicion, fear and so forth.

    “It has been absolutely disastrous for us as a people, the manipulation of religion, false manipulation of religion, if we look at all the religions they all preach peace and love.

    “But we discovered that there are always individuals who find ways of manipulating religion to create conflicts,” Onyeama said.

    He also noted that religious manipulation is nothing new to Nigeria, for as long as mankind is on this planet, they claim to be enlightened.

    “We claim that in the 21st century that we are enlightened and a higher level of species on this earth.

    “But yet for some reasons, we cannot get beyond some of these prejudices and constantly fall prey to those who choose to manipulate religion, and other differences to cause disunity and conflict.

    “Nigerians cherished faiths, and indeed, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has recognised its enormous relevance in the promotion of the cardinal principles and objectives of the state.

    Onyeama also said that institution of religion has served as a platform for the conception and implementation of public policies and programmes and for mobilization of citizens’ participation in governance and decision-making processes.

    “Without a doubt, religion has contributed to peace in Nigeria in an advantageous position in the comity of nations.”

    In his remarks, Dr Bakut Tswah Bakut, the Director-General, IPCR, also urged religious leaders to engage themselves in influencing policies that would positively support reconciliation, peace and security in Nigeria.

    “More efforts should be made to promote understanding of the basic tenets of faith among the adherents at all levels of religious hierarchies.

    “And we believe that teaching the citizens about unity, love for one another and peace in various places of worship will go a long way in curbing insecurity.

    ”The institute and its partners will also drive the process of promoting interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding in Nigeria,” Bakut said.

  • FG to evacuate more Nigerians from Ukraine under humanitarian corridor – Onyeama

    FG to evacuate more Nigerians from Ukraine under humanitarian corridor – Onyeama

    Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama says plans are underway by the Federal Government to evacuate more Nigerians trapped in Ukraine under the humanitarian corridor.

    This is as Russia on Monday announced the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow the evacuation of civilians from several Ukrainian cities experiencing heavy fighting, including the capital Kyiv and Sumy.

    Onyeama disclosed this via his verified Twitter handle @GeoffreyOnyeama.

    He appreciated his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba for granting the request of the Nigerian government for evacuation.

    “Deep gratitude to @DmytroKuleba, Foreign Minister of Ukraine for approval given as promised, to establish a humanitarian corridor.

    “And authorise evacuation of Nigerian students from Sumy starting tomorrow.

    “The big challenges is procuring buses. We are doing everything to make it happen. Great commitment by Nigerian Ambassador, to Ukraine, Shina Alege,” Onyeama twitted.

    Newsmen reports that the federal government has so far evacuated 807 Nigerians from Ukraine.

    Newsmen reports that the first batch of 450 Nigerians stranded in Ukraine arrived aboard Max Air flight 747 at 7:10 a.m., on Friday through Romania.

    The second batch came aboard Air Peace Boeing 777-300 flight (APK7534) and arrived in Abuja with 183 passengers including kids through Warsaw.

    The third batch of 174 evacuees arrived at 11.50 p.m. on Friday through Hungary.

    The Federal Government approved the release of 8.5 million dollars on Wednesday for the immediate evacuation of at least 5,000 Nigerians fleeing the Russian-Ukrainian conflict zone to Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

    On Feb. 28, the Federal Government said Nigeria’s diplomatic mission had received 256 citizens from Ukraine at Bucharest, Hungary, Poland and Romania following the invasion.

  • Ukraine: Only people registered with Nigerian embassies will be evacuated – FG

    Ukraine: Only people registered with Nigerian embassies will be evacuated – FG

    The federal government of Nigeria has released guidelines for the evacuation of Nigerians from Ukraine and stipulated that only people registered with the Nigerian embassies will be evacuated.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama made this known, stressing that only persons documented with the Nigerian embassies will be eligible for evacuation.

    Onyeama disclosed this on Wednesday in a statement signed by the Spokesperson of the ministry, Mrs Francisca Omayuli and made available to newsmen.

    Onyeama said that those without passports would be issued Emergency Travel Certificates to enable them travel back home.

    The minister said that the affected evacuees would return home via Romania, Poland and Hungary. He, however, said that those yet to register for the exercise needed to comply.

    The statement read in part: “The Federal Government of Nigeria wishes to inform that arrangements are being concluded for the evacuation of the first batch of Nigerian nationals willing to return home.

    “Intending evacuees should note that only persons documented with the Nigerian Embassies will be eligible for evacuation.”

    Onyeama gave the following contacts for documentation:

    Nigerian Embassy, Bucharest, Romania: +40786091964; +2348032882810(WhatsApp); email: headofmission@nigeriaembromania.gov.ng or info@nigeriaembromania.gov.ng

    Nigerian Embassy, Warsaw, Poland, +48889410270; +48579201775; email: Nigeria.warsaw@foreignaffairs.gov.ng

    Nigerian Embassy, Budapest, Hungary: +36308202903; +36308639203; email: embassy@nigerianembassy.hu or secretary@nigerianembassy.by.

  • Buhari’s Minister opens up on FG’s plan to reintegrate Boko Haram members

    Buhari’s Minister opens up on FG’s plan to reintegrate Boko Haram members

    There is no definite pronouncement by the federal government on what will become of surrendered Boko Haram members, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has said.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Onyeama made this known on Saturday in Abuja during the 2021 edition of the Society for International Relations Awareness (SIRA) Annual Public Lecture.

    Onyeama amidst growing concerns over rumoured plans by the government to reintegrate the surrendered Boko Haram commandants and others to the society.

    Many Nigerians have argued the terrorists should face the consequences of their deeds rather than being pardoned or rehabilitated by the government.

    But Onyeama said the Federal Government was yet to decide what to do with them.

    Addressing the gathering, which includes foreign diplomats, the Minister said: “The mechanisms we are adopting are local and we are looking at experience from other countries in taking a definitive decision on what to do. I guess we would also look at individual cases.

    “We can’t just have a blanket decision. There are so many aspects to that but the government is yet to take a definite decision on that. I think very soon, we would have a definite position.”

    On the country’s foreign policy, he said it is difficult to say as it varies from one country to another.

    He said President Muhammadu Buhari as the arrow head of the country’s engagement, diplomacy has yielded much fruit with the appointment of many Nigerians into global and continental bodies.

    TNG reports the 2021 annual public lecture of SIRA has as its theme, “Continuity and Change in Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Under President Muhammadu Buhari”.

    The event, supported by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria, was held at the Rotunda Hall, Tafewa Balewa Building, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

  • We need funds; Nigerians abroad will continue to pay $100 charges – FG

    We need funds; Nigerians abroad will continue to pay $100 charges – FG

    The federal government (FG) has said the country is in need of funds, and therefore, Nigerians in diaspora will continue to pay charges and levies imposed at the foreign missions.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema; and Controller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede elaborated this when they appeared before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs in Abuja on Tuesday.

    They explained that the charges and levies were due to paucity of funds to run operations, while also explaining how they were addressing issues affecting Nigerians in other countries.

    At the two-day investigative hearing organised by the committee, which began on Tuesday, Onyema noted that the charges had been in existence and were only suspended.

    “The $100 they (Nigerians in the US) said has been added is voluntary; it is just for those who want to have their biometrics done without an appointment. If you wait for your appointment, you will g.t it (done) and not pay. But if you want it the same day, then pay $100,” the Minister said.

    Onyema also said his ministry planned to make Nigerians in diaspora have access to a 24/7 call centre in Nigeria which would take complaints from across the world.

    In his presentation, the CG of the NIS decried the shortage of passport booklets, which he described as the biggest challenge facing the service.

    “The passport is the biggest challenge. When we talk about passports, the challenges are ours; some of the challenges are with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and some are with Nigerians themselves. On our side, we have the huge challenge of scarcity of passport booklets,” Babandede said.

    He lamented that the NIS had only 47 offices across Nigeria despite the huge population of the country.

    The Chairman/Chief Executive of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, noted that the presentations by Babandede and Onyema “have shed a lot of light on happenings and innovations going on in immigration.

    “We are going to set up a NIDCOM app which can be downloaded by all Nigerians in diaspora to even bring in their complaints and all.

    “Also, the diaspora commission is very soon going to launch an Internet radio, where we are going to have communication all the time with our brothers and sisters in diaspora. So, the key thing is communication”.

  • Hungary sets to throw Nigeria’s ambassador from mission house in Budapest

    Hungary sets to throw Nigeria’s ambassador from mission house in Budapest

    Authorities in Hungary are set to throw Nigeria’s ambassador to Hungary, Dr. (Mrs) Eniola Olaitan Ajayi from the mission house, the chancery building in Budapest.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Godfrey Onyeama made this known while defending the ministry’s 2021 budget at the House of Representatives on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said the ambassador called him to inform that the landlord was coming and that there was no money to pay the rent rates.

    Onyeama also said he had received similar calls from a lot of Nigerian missions across the world

    He also revealed that plans are underway to reduce the number of International Organisations Nigeria belongs to due to paucity of funds.

    He said that the ministry is faced with a challenge of meeting its contribution to those International organisations.

    “We are owing a lot, and in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), there is a process to rationalise and cut down on the International Organisations we belong to.

    “This is because we are just owing monies left and right and it is not even good for the image of the country,” he said.

    Onyeama, who decried the poor funding of the ministry, reeled out the challenges facing the 2021 budget implementation.

    The minister said that one the challenges the ministry is facing is the movement of officers, ambassadors and their families.

    He said that N1.6 billion is required for the movement of ambassadors while officers will require N3.7 billion, making a total of N5.3 billion for the whole movement.

    The minister said in addition to what was received in the revised budget, the ministry will require an additional N1.1 billion in 2021 to meet the cost of movement.

    He stressed the need to address the inadequate overhead budgetary provisions to the missions, which is resulting to a lot of debt for electricity and rent.

    “Just on Monday, the ambassador in Hungary called to say they are going to throw them out from the chancery building. That the landlord is coming and that they do not have the money to pay.

    “And we get that from a lot of missions across the world and that is not a sustainable way of running foreign service.

    “Then this exchange rate differential with the CBN is really something we need to address once and for all.

    “It is not so easy, all of these things are computed in naira and all the payments abroad are in dollars and once the exchange rate is changed, it never goes the other way, it always goes up, it never comes down visa vis the dollar. This means immediate shortfall for all our missions,” he said

    The minister said that the ministry requires an additional capital allocation of N5 billion to address some of the missions’ renovation needs.

    According to him, “a lot of our missions are eyesores and it is just a huge embarrassment to the country that we can have mission in such terrible conditions.”

    Onyeama said that between 2012 and 2014, the ministry owed local contractors N1.3 billion.

    According to him, “we have been receiving letters from the National Assembly forwarding to us various claims and judgement and asking us to pay them.

    “We have a big challenge with clothing allowances, as you know, all officers in our missions from grade level 7 and above are entitled to US$2,500 clothing allowance per annum.

    “In the 2021 budget, about 1,312 officers will be expecting the payment of these allowances and if you take at the CBN official rate, we are looking at N1.2 billion.

    “What we have available is N762 million for that, to able to pay the clothing allowances, we still need at additional sum of N500 million,” he said.

    Onyeama said that the ministry needs N225 million to pay premium for the insurance of the ministry’s head quarters.

    According to him, that is based on an estimate of the value of the building at N12 billion which is a very rare conservative estimate of that building.

    He said that the ministry needs N342 million for the building of infrastructure which bridge the ICT gap the ministry currently faces.

    “I was talking about the ICT deficit, with presence in 110 countries, we believe that the ministry should be in a key position for foreign direct investment and export promotion, leveraging on our physical presence in 110 countries of the world to make that possible.

    “It would be a one-stop shop for Nigerian businesses without going through all kinds of bottle necks. We want your consideration to allocate this amount into the envelope.

    “Part of what will go for digitizing our missions and the 24-7 health desk that we need to have to keep in touch with Nigerians around the world.

    “That will really transform the ministry and get us to do things we need to be doing and add economic values to the country,” he said.

  • Nigeria inclusion into UN Security Council, future goal, says Onyeama

    Nigeria inclusion into UN Security Council, future goal, says Onyeama

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, says the clamour for the inclusion of Nigeria into the UN Security Council is a goal to be achieved in the future.

    Onyeama made this known on Wednesday while speaking as a Guest at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

    He was responding to questions on what Nigeria was doing to win the bid for permanent membership of the Council.

    The minister decried geopolitics to pose as challenge on the change in admission process for countries to become members of the council, saying that secured members would still want to maintain their rights.

    According to him, the African Union set up a process called Re-zoning in Swaziland, in order to come up with strategy on country to represent Africa as member of the Security Council.

    Onyeama said: “Then, issue of whether they will have voting rights, within Africa, the process has not probably been decisive. I think there is still the issue of who will be the country.

    “Generally, the sentiment used to be that Africa should ask for two permanent seats, but so the mechanism for deciding who will be those countries has not been agreed upon.

    “Deciding among African countries might not be the easiest test, and then, the principle of arriving at that has to be accepted by the global community.

    “What you then find is that some of the power blocs is going to be those five permanent members, the U.S, Russia, France, UK and China, that are going to decide.

    “So realistically, I do not think it is something that will be solved in the near future.”

    Onyeama said Nigeria would remain committed to non-alignment, adding that the country’s policies were based on national interest and also on how issues were perceived.

    “We are pushing for the strengthening of multilateral institutions like the United Nations and other multilateral fora in order to stop as much as possible the depolarisation of the world.

    “Move toward consensus through neutral media platforms, we have good relations with almost all; we don’t have any issue or problems with any of the countries of the world,” he said.

    Earlier, Alhaji Biola Lawal, NAN Acting Managing Director, had expressed appreciation to the minister for featuring as a guest at the forum.

    Lawal said that the interview with the minister was on the sidelines of activities marking the fifth anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration since 2015.

    “In the wake of the COVID-19, the president marked his fifth year in office, and the whole world need to know what his administration had been able to achieve in the past.

    “So, our priority is to liaise with the Ministers, to disseminate information on achievements so far recorded, because the reach we have, no one has it.

    “We are presently on ground in all the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja,” Lawal said.

  • NNPC, CBN agree to fund hotel, feeding expenses of Nigerian evacuees while in isolation – Onyeama

    NNPC, CBN agree to fund hotel, feeding expenses of Nigerian evacuees while in isolation – Onyeama

    The Federal Government has said it has secured funding for the hotel and feeding expenses of Nigerian evacuees while on compulsory 14-day isolation in Nigeria.

    This was revealed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama during the Presidential Task Force briefing on Monday.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that the federal government had last week unveiled a new policy that requires Nigerians stranded abroad to offset their two-week quarantine bill as a prerequisite for possible evacuation.

    Before now, the returnees were only required to pay for their flight while the government took care of their two weeks stay in isolation.

    The government said it imposed the fees “due to measures that are beyond the control of COVID-19 local organizing team.”

    The new directive was revealed in a letter to the evacuees signed by the Head of Chancery, Nigerian Mission in Thailand, Nicholas Uhomoibhi, and dated May 14, 2020.

    However, the announcement did not go down with Nigerians who insisted that government must fund the hotel and feeding bills of the evacuees while in isolation.

    In what appears like a total submissiveness to the demand of Nigerians, the minister said he discussed with his colleague in Ministry of Environment, Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar who suggested that the ministry partner with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) because they have corporate and social responsibility.

    Onyeama said the governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele agreed to help but also sounded a note of concern that the amount that will be needed to cater for the Nigerian evacuees will be over a billion naira considering there are over 4,000 Nigerians that need to be evacuated.

    Emefiele according to the minister of foreign affairs said he was ready to share the cost with the NNPC to ensure something is done about the situation.

    The minister also noted the General Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, promised to partner with the CBN governor to fund the accommodation and feeding of the returnees.