The newly appointed Nigerian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Godson Echegile is a banker-turned-politician. Despite his busy diplomatic schedule, he found time to talk to ADEZE OJUKWU, media coordinator Nigerian National Union in Freetown on critical issues about the region.

His Excellency Sir What are your major goals as Ambassador to Sierra Leone?

Firstly we want o ensure that our citizens here live according to the laws of the land. We want to promote investment between Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Lastly, we want to help in the implementation of the ECOWAS treaties and agreements reached so these are three areas we are focusing on.

How far have you gone on those three issues?

Yes in terms of promoting investment. Yes we have a lot of Nigerian investors interested here. Those who were already here before and were thinking of pulling out or had a few problems we have assisted them in solving those problems. On living by the laws of the land, we have been able to hold what we call town hall meetings with the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. The dialogue has improved in their performances in terms of obeying the laws of the land. So these are the areas I think we have concentrated in for now.

In terms of Investments what are the prospects for Nigerians coming to Sierra Leone?

Yes l'l say Sierra Leone is a virgin land, just coming out of a civil conflict. It will require what l'l call re-engineering of the economy. So in these three sectors we are there. One in the area of financing the economy, we have the three major Nigeria banks here. Since I came in four additional banks have come in. Three are on their way making it a total of about eight. We have Income Electrix generating electricity in Eastern Freetown. We have Arik and Aero Airlines trying to come in. So by the end of next quarter next year, we have three airlines coming from Nigeria to Lungi International Airport. So these are areas that we are focusing on now.

What about Education, Health and Agriculture. Is there any intervention in those areas?

Yes we are part of the South-South medical team. We have doctors, nurses, pharmacists working in various parts of the countries. Recently I went to visit some of them at Kamakpe, Makpuruka and Lungi. All the midwives working in the hospital are Nigerians midwives. They had some problems but we have resolved that. So l think we are expecting some bear people coming. On the educational sector we have the Technical Aids Corps (TAC). The last batch for the 2008/2009 will be leaving from December 12 this month. Hopefully in the New Year, we'll try and bring in some additional ones.

Sir, you've been here for some time. And you sound very optimistic. What are the major challenges militating against these your lofty goals for sweet Sierra Leone.

The Challenges you found here will not be different from any African state. They include broken down infrastructures, unemployment and crime. These are part of any developing society. But the Nigerians here have been quite friendly and cooperative with me in ensuring that the things according to the laws of the land. And then the government has been quite supportive. So we have been working as family.

But in terms of infrastructures - it can only be supported by education. But looking as in the sector seems very obvious. What are your views?

We help in the reducing the burden of cost through sponsoring TAC and their salaries. With the various interventions we help to improve the quality of education. We reduce the cost in this way. For example if you go to Haikel Academy Bo a private institution taking in mainly orphans and disabled people. There we have eight of the TAC lecturers working there. That helps in reducing cost of education at least for those who attend there. We have other areas like Kenema. We have 18 TAC lecturers teaching in Eastern Polytechnic, Kenema. These are areas we support and improve education. This is because when they come in the TAC salaries are paid by us, so on the other hand it is like donating that money, so it helps in reducing cost to those institutions and to the larger society.

Sierra Leone has just come out of war but there are certain factors that remain frightening. What are your views?

Well these are all the by products of prolong crises. The issue of maternal mortality is very high. Others include issues of general health services and things as common as malaria. Addressing these issues will require not only Sierra Leone but the international community to assist. That is why we focus specifically in sending medical doctors, nurses and midwives. If you go the Wesley Hospital in Kamakwe all the midwives there are Nigerians. We sent them under the South-South health care programme. So that's our own little contribution in improving the maternal mortality rates and health sector in general. So these are areas we think we can help the country. If other nations can contribute their widow's mite, certainly that will take them from the bottom of the ladder.

What about youth violence because other countries lot of youth are unemployed. Youths are often used to unite violence. Do you see it as high or normal here?

What we have here I will say is not abnormal. IT is better than the average that you see in any African state. Youths are quite ok. But when you compare the level of unemployment and crime rate, you will see that they come far better than most other African nations. But we shouldn't take things for granted. We should start planning from now to see how we can gear employment for the people. And that will require looking upwards thinking inwards rather than looking at external bodies or inter national organization as the saviour. The saviour is right here in Sierra Leone. Our success is within us.

Poverty is a major driving force of underdevelopment how do you advise government to deal with poverty because without food security and money? It is easy to go on the streets to orchestrate violence.

The issue of poverty and poverty reduction as stipulated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS). The critical issue there is the mind. I believe that poverty is in the mind. If the mind is ready to move the pocket will be full. You have very good land for Agriculture in Sierra Leone. You have rivers crossing all the province and districts. That means you can achieve 12 months farming in Sierra Leone. So for me you don't necessary need to be hi-tech for you to be a rich nation or for you to be comfortable. If agriculture is your strength and you focus on that, you can feed the nation. Agriculture goes beyond feeding. It will lead to food security, employment generation and income generation. So agriculture can become the major export to the country. In that process foreign exchange can be earned and a lot of the people would be helped. So I don't see poverty in Sierra Leone. I think it is an issue of the mind.

Despite these challenges many Nigerians are trooping into this country. What is your advice for fellow compatriots?

In the spirit of ECOWAS, I will encourage more to come. However they should come legally and work. You see, we learn from each other. There are things Sierra Leoneans will learn from us and there are things that we will learn from them. Recently I went to Kenema and I visited a Nigerian. He is just in the business of producing palm oil. And he is doing ok. And people have learnt from the technology he brought from Nigeria. It is this kind of synergy that we are talking about.

In the spirit of ECOWAS can you tell us what you will do to strengthen economic and social ties between Nigeria and Sierra Leone apart from the influx of banks in the country.

Yes apart from the banks, we try to explore other sectors to encourage economic and social ties. The ECOWAS summit is slated for Abuja in December Abuja. The issue of ECO currency is on the table. The issue of transport is also there. You can see the ease with which the airlines get approval. It is driven by the ECOWAS spirit. Without the treaty, the companies will have to go through a lot of bureaucratic bottlenecks. Indeed ECOWAS is working. But it might not be working at the pace at which the founding fathers who envisioned the treaty would have expected it to work. Yes it may not work at the pace of European Union (EU) but it is working and we are moving. We could fast-track it, but we are bogged down by a lot of political crises. Now that most members are overcoming political crises, the next thing would be economic targets. Some of these issues I believe would likely be attended to in the December ECOWAS summit in Abuja.

Now what will you say to Sierra Leone that are always thinking negatively about Nigerians living here in Sierra Leone. Do you want them to change this perception and why?

You see there is no nation where you have 100 percent of its citizens as criminals and there is no nation where you have 100 percent of its citizens as saints. So it's a mixture. First of all it is to have an open mind. Yesterday l was in a service by the Sierra Leone friendship Association at Four Square Gospel Church. And it was well attended and people who had lived and experienced Nigeria spoke glowingly about Nigeria. So it's not unexpected. Like l told you, our aim is to improve relations between both countries. We try to support the Sierra Leone- Nigeria Friendship Association to establish branches in the province. This will enable people to understand more about the two nations. People need to know more about Nigeria . Our people also need to know more about Sierra Leone . We should all work together to reduce misinformation

Now talking about working together. Is there a way to support exchange programs between the two programs among students and other groups.

Yes at the programme yesterday one of the speakers said he had lived 20 years in Nigeria and he enumerated the beautiful experiences he had in Nigeria. He said he would still want to visit or live Nigeria. That is because he has lived there. He has experienced it. He is not reading it in the newspapers. We wiII support exchange programs especially from Sierra Leone side because we have a lot of Nigerians coming to Sierra Leone either under Technical Aids Corps (TAC) or South-South or private initiatives. And our people and movies are all over the place so we want to take people from Sierra Leone to Nigeria. But like you know Nigeria is a nation of 150 million people. So it's quite a big country.

What about bringing it to the public discourse where you have interactive media/public sessions with target groups?

That will come but under the second phase. First we need to address those who are supposed to know. If we get this market then we'll go to those who by way of their background do not know much about Nigeria. Then we later address those who don't know. That becomes a second phase. So for now let's focus on those who are supposed to know. What are the misgivings they have against us? Let's address those misgivings in a kind of town hall meetings. With dialogue, we can discuss the issues. If there are areas of apprehension, they will be addressed. You can see Nigerian banks. Some employees are beginning to learn Nigeria work culture. Be at work at 8 am. You must have a set target, you must meet that target. Your promotion is tied to that. People are beginning to see the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes implemented from these organizations. So these are one or two things that people can see. You can see

that our last Independence Celebration and the impact of Nigerian companies as they sponsored most of the programmes. So these are some of the things that we'll see from Nigeria.

Many Nigerians were trained at FBC. This is pay-back time. How is Nigerian government paying back?

We have a number of TAC at University of Sierra Leone (USL). I know in College of Medical and Allied Health Sciences (COMHAS), we have two lecturers with PhD. We have others like you lecturing in Mass Communications and Physics Department. You can remember that we played an active role in establishing the Department of Mass Communication. We are still supporting and will continue to support Sierra Leoneans with exchange and scholarship programmes. A lot of people passed through here. Many Nigerians have relations here and Sierra Leoneans have relations in Nigeria . .

On a lighter side what prepared you for this job?

What prepared me is my love for Nigeria. I have been selling all my life either selling financial products or selling ideas as politicians. Now I am trying to market Nigeria. I rose up to become the Managing Director of Commercial Trust Bank. So I have brought my marketing experience to the job as ambassador to Sierra Leone.

The job of an Ambassador is very tedious. How do we relax?

I come from Niger Delta so I swim. I play tennis. I read interesting books.

Sierra Leone has beautiful dishes - Rice with cassava leaves and potato leaves. Which is your favourite meal?

I am just learning how to make it. So when I make it. I will decide which is tastier. For now I am just trying them out.

Ambassador thanks for sharing your time and thoughts with me.

Adeze thanks for the great work you are doing teaching Mass Communication at FBC and working as the media coordinator for the Nigerian Union in Sierra Leoneans.