Immediate past minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has stressed the need for Nigeria to foster excellent relationships with other countries worldwide.
He said Nigeria’s foreign policy centres on cultivating positive relationships globally, as it facilitates bilateral trade, aid, increased investment, repatriation of cultural artifacts, and international support for Nigerian candidates.
Speaking during an award ceremony organised by the Conference of Non-Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja Onyeama praised the ambassadors for their transformative efforts in strengthening Nigeria’s ties with their host countries.
Onyeama attributed Nigeria’s success to the exceptional performance of its ambassadors, who have maintained excellent rapport with nations across the globe.
Expressing gratitude for the recognition, Onyeama admitted that he was overwhelmed by the honour bestowed upon him. He took the opportunity to commend former President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing him as a minister and for reappointing him for another four-year term, despite opposition from some quarters.
Onyeama also congratulated President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, acknowledging the challenge of succeeding a beloved and respected leader like Buhari. He praised Buhari for his eight years of service, describing him as a legendary figure who represented Nigeria admirably.
The Dean of the Conference of Non-Career Ambassadors, Amb Nwannebuike Ominyi, explained that the award ceremony aimed to reciprocate Onyeama’s support and responsiveness to achieving their goals.
“Today, we can laugh because what we asked for was given to us. We put this evening together to say “thank you.” We are happy to associate with you and to tell you that you made our work easier”, Ominyi stated
The envoys who were appointed in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed gratitude to Onyeama and other key figures who contributed to enhancing the status of Non-Career Ambassadors.
The event saw the attendance of over 20 Non-Career Ambassadors from various countries, including Jamaican High Commissioner Dr. Maureen Tamuno, Nigerian Ambassadors Tukur Y. Buratai (Republic of Benin), Elija Onyeagba (Burundi), Folakemi Akinyele (Philippines), Ijeoma Obiezu (Ireland), Oma Djebah (Thailand), Modupe Irele (Hungary), and Abayomi Olonisakin (Cameroon).
Other awards were presented to the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, and chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Mohammed Bello.
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