Guinea: Kalu to visit Guinean President as Nigerians protest Unlawful arrest

Posted by admin Africa & World Politics, Headlines Tuesday, February 11th, 2014

By Odimegwu Onwumere

Nigerians in Guinea on February 10 2014 barricaded the Nigerian Embassy in that country in protest of what they said was unlawful arrest and detention of fellow Nigerians, especially from Igbo extraction and, keeping them in the prison for days. According to a report by Igbo socio-political group called Njiko Igbo, about fifty Nigerians, mostly traders, were arrested by Guinean authorities in a most brazen manner and were sent to the gulag. Thirty of them were arrested on February 7 2014 by the Guinean police and twenty, the following day.

The source said that the Nigerian diplomat in Guinea made every possible effort to seeing that the victims were released, as there was a meeting with the Guinean Minister of Security on February 8. The protesting Nigerians said that their worry was that the detained Nigerians were not released in what the Guinean authority claimed was because of “general control”. Conversely, Nigerians in Guinea have called on former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, to come to their aid.

In a news report by one of Kalu’s aides, the former governor has given his words to visit the Guinean president by March, as he is currently on a fanatical mission to the United States of America. Speaking through his aide, Kalu has, however, sent some of his delegates to the country to make sure that the protest does not go out of hand and in making sure that the detained Nigerians are released. Kalu speaks in high voice and weeps that while he is against any forms of illegality, he wonders why Nigerians are hated by fellow Africans.

Dr. Kalu recalls with nostalgia that on October 9 2013, three Nigerians were supposedly killed in Guinea-Bissau and the Nigerian Embassy attacked, which compelled the Federal Government on Wednesday of that month to set up an investigation panel that would look into the root cause of the matter. The order came after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, as was related to the media by Dr. Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Jonathan.

The President and Founder of Njiko Igbo worldwide, Dr. Kalu bemoans that the inimical habits being meted out against Nigerians in most parts of the world are the reason he has been toiling day and night in making sure that job opportunities are created for Nigerians at home to help in curtailing the exodus of Nigerians to other countries who are there in seek for greener pastures. He says that he does not believe in the mischievous propaganda that Nigerians crave for money in whatever ways more than any peoples of the world and, as a result, they fall prey of bestiality in the hands of their host countries. His belief is that Nigerians find success where it seemed that success was very hard to be found.

He says that as far as he lives, he will do everything in his reach in making sure that Nigeria is not ruined by any ugly practices. This, he says, he has shown by the businesses he has brought to Nigeria, when some persons who could have helped as well, were purportedly busy junketing the world in purchase of houses, shares, and doctoral degrees. It is believed that in March, when Kalu will visit the Guinean president, all genuine Nigerians in Guinea would have a sense of reprieve from whatsoever further alleged molestations from the Guineans. He advises all Africans to see themselves as one and stop causing rancours against each other that do not make a people, group, country or continent, to develop. He says that Nigerians should not be seen in other countries as victims of circumstance, because peoples of all the countries of the world are not perpetual residents of their respective countries.

Nevertheless, Kalu has called on all Nigerians to be doing jobs that are meaningful in any environments they found theirselves. He urges any who engages in businesses of deceit to desist from such and embrace a transparent lifestyle. He tells those who may be into any shoddy businesses to eschew their commitment and embrace transparency. He calls on the Federal Government to expedite action on its investigations to unravel the incessant alleged harassments and killings of Nigerians in Guinea.

Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who is a man of peace, wonders that should Nigerians in Nigeria show reprisal attacks on Guineans in Nigeria, the diplomatic relationship between the two countries would be picked by shreds, if possible. He asks the Federal Government to make formidable, the economy of Nigeria. He calls for total avoidance of anything that brings shame to the country by its citizens. He believes that Nigeria has a good image, but more are needed to be done to reinforce the image among comity of nations. He asks Nigerians in Guinea that while they protest, they should as well continue to be good citizens and residents of their host country, till he visits Guinea in March.

Odimegwu Onwumere, a Poet/Writer, writes from Rivers State.

Tel: +2348057778358

Email: apoet_25@yahoo.com

www.odimegwuonwumere.wordpress.com

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