Leadership (Abuja)
7 January 2009
The Nigeria Union in South Africa has pledged to work with the two missions in Pretoria and Johannesburg to redeem Nigeria's image.
Mr. Chijoke Oliver-Kan, the publicity secretary of the union, made the pledge while speaking with the Southern African correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Johannesburg.
He said: "The union in alliance with Nigerians, has resolved to fish out the bad eggs who create image problems for Nigeria.
"On this, we are going to work closely with the two missions in Pretoria and Johannesburg to ensure that none of these bad elements are spared whenever they are identified," he said.
Oliver-Kan also explained that the union had concluded plans to organise workshops to enlighten Nigerians who ignorantly fall victims to the South African police brutality.
"We have, therefore, resolved to carry out enlightenment programmes among Nigerians here, especially those without skills on how to behave and what to do in the event of being accosted or unduly arrested by the police authority," he said.
He said in addition to its legal adviser the union was working closely with the High Commission and Consulate.
The official said the union had also made arrangements with a Nigerian-owned business outfit in Johannesburg to give free training to 30 Nigerians in skills acquisition.
He added that the union had prepared an information-based travel document that would assist intending Nigerians travelling to South Africa to prepare well before embarking on such trips.
"We realise that many Nigerians are today on the streets because they did not have adequate information either about what they were coming to do or what they would face here in South Africa.
"Many of them run from Nigeria in a desperate bid for better living conditions, but discover on getting there that life is not all that rosy abroad and so end up getting mixed up in illegal deals that portray Nigeria in bad light", he said.
Oliver-Kan urged the federal government to woo Nigerians in Diaspora to return home and invest in the economy and encourage those who want to stay and make it at home.
"We are only appealing to our government at home to give us a soft landing by improving and addressing the non functional infrastructure and security in the country to help us open up new businesses at home," he said. (NAN)
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