Nigeria can’t work without cooperation of citizens – Senator

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Musa Adamu

The Chairman of Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Mohammed Bulkachua, has called on Nigerians to rally round the government in the task of fixing the economy, noting that it cannot work without the cooperation of all.
While lamenting the unfortunate fate which befell the returnees, in the face of the prevailing challenges facing the country, Ahmed Mohammed Bulkachua said the situation on ground is fixable as it was with Ghana in the 1980s.
According to him, “If Ghana whose economy was in shambles in the 80s with over hundred of Cedis exchanging for one US dollar, can positively turn her situation around to what it is today with 4.2 Cedis exchanging for a dollar, Nigeria can also do same if both the government and the governed can put their acts together in that respect”.
He however added that presently, with other Countries of the world, there will be no situation where all Nigerians will remain in Nigeria.
“Not even developed or great countries of the world like the United States of America (USA), the Republic of China etc, have all their citizens domiciled at home, but what must be addressed by us is to put things in proper shape so that those who will be travelling out will largely be for excursion or tourism reason and not greener pasture as it is now”, he said.
Earlier in his submissions before the committee on what the Nigerian government would be tabling before its South African counterpart during the coming state visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to South Africa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mustapha Sulaiman, said wide range of issues would be tabled at the bi- national commission.
“Specifically, during the visit, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and agreements between the two countries would be signed on means of preventing and mitigating such attacks in the future.
“Besides that, composite wise, during the visit, required mechanism will be put in place for the Nigerian Commission there to have variety of information on Nigerians resident in South Africa.
“As at Wednesday, 18th September, 2019 about 821 Nigerians affected by the recent xenophobic attacks, have either been evacuated home or indicated interest for that purpose”, he said.