Rep Condemns Persecution of Nigerians in Malaysia

NigerianFormer
ambassador to Spain and
the Holy Sea (Vatican), who
is also a Member of the
Foreign Affairs Committee in
the House of
Representatives, Dr
Kingsley S. Ebenyi, has
condemned the persistent
persecution of Nigerians
abroad, saying the recent
molestation of Nigerians by
the Malaysian Police was
unacceptable.
Ebenyi described as
outrageous and
provocative the action of
the Malaysian Police that
clamped down on any
Nigerian in sight, even
legitimate students who had
committed no crime.
In a statement issued by
his legislative aide, Mr
Titus Agbo,the former
Ambassador said no nation
should watch with arms
akimbo and allow the
continuous dehumanisation
of its citizenry.
"The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs must liaise
effectively with Nigeria
missions overseas to be
proactive and respond
spontaneously to distress
calls. We must make a
statement that gone are the
days
Nigerians would be
brutalised for no just
cause. We must be seen as
providing protection for our
citizens
wherever they are
as our primordial concern,"
Ebenyi maintained.
"There must be total re-
orientation of embassy
staff for quick response so
that Nigerians would have
a sense of belonging,@ he
explained. "Our foreign
missions must embark on
mass enligtenmnent of
critical sectors and
authorities of their host
countries, such as the
immigration, police and
other security arms."
Ebenyi urged the Foreign
Affairs Ministry to
intervene immediately on
the fate of the brutalised
Nigerians especially the
reported cases of Nigerian
students allegedly shot by
the Malaysian Police and
demand for adequate
compensation and
prosecution of those who
carried out those dastardly
act against our citizens.
The former Ambassador
also advised the various
Ministries of Information,
Culture and Tourism
including Youths and
Sports,to evolve a cultural
package that would
showcase to the outside
world the best of Nigeria in
it's diversity of arts and
culture,tourist centres, the
etho and food of the tribes
that populate the country.
"Let's have exchange
programs that would air on
television stations
overseas, the giant strides
Nigeria had achieved in
sports: football and
athletics, wrestling
taekwendo, including
boxing. Good documentaries
of
our star footballers,
have a way of portraying
the nation in good light," he
advised.
Hon. Ebenyi said it was
worthy of note that the
country's Nollywood was
beginning to receive
positive responses
overseas and advised that
films of high quality, and
well produced that are not
smeared with rituals should
be well packaged and used
in projecting the country
overseas.
He sympathised with
families of those allegedly
killed in Malaysia and also
urged the students who
were dehumanised and
detained unjustly to shake
off the stigma so that it
does not affect their
education or their
relationship with their
hosts. He also dvised all
Nigerians living abroad not
to stay in isolation and
should register with our
missions overseas so that
the embassies would
be
able to reach them in
good time in time of
distress.