High Commissioner urges Nigerians to clean image

Wa, May 8, GNA - The Nigeria High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Musiliu O. Obanikoro has called on Nigerians living outside their country to collectively stand up and clean their image and not to allow the few bad nuts among them to give them an identity as people associated with criminality. He said the overall good image of Nigeria as a country must be the topmost concern of all Nigerians, pointing out that there is no part in Nigeria that condone criminalities.

Mr Obanikoro made the call when he interacted with the Nigerian community in the Upper West Region in Wa, to find out about their welfare and acquaint himself with members of the community. He urged Nigerians living outside the country to monitor the activities of each other and bring to notice all those persons found to have questionable characters.

High Commissioner Obanikoro said Nigeria was blessed with human and material resources and that what was needed most was to harness them to benefit its people and Africa. He said even though Nigeria and Ghana were two different countries, they have a common destiny and therefore needed to cooperate and work together to help reduce poverty in the sub-region.

Mr Obanikoro urged Nigerians in the Region to live peacefully with Ghanaians and also be law abiding to sustain the good relationship that the two countries were enjoying. Some of the Nigerians urged Mr Obanikoro to persuade the management of Nigerian banks in Ghana to open branches in the regions to facilitate business transaction.

They also called for Nigeria government investment in the Upper West Region to provide work for its youth in the three northern Regions. Mr. Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister, in an earlier interaction with the High Commissioner when he called on him, said Nigerians had a dented image and that it was good that the High Commissioner was going round, reaching out to its citizens. He said Nigeria was a major stakeholder in the integration efforts of the sub-region and that there were positive things about that country which many other countries in the sub-region could tap for the benefit of their people.

"Ghana and Nigeria have a dream to unite Africa and that dream should not be seen as being over ambitious," Mr Khalid said. Mr Obanikoro said the progress of the two countries would be a progress for all Africans, especially those in the sub-region. He urged African countries to cooperate to do things to benefit the people and avoid stereotyping one another, which he said was bad and would not help in the progress of the continent.