Federal Government has vowed to retaliate any discriminatory attitude towards Nigerians living in foreign countries.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, said this while presenting letter of credence to newly appointed Nigerian ambassadors.
The new ambassadors are Mr. Abel Ayoko (Austria), Okechukwu Momoh (Romania), Rabiu Dangari (Venezuela), Akeem Sulaiman (France) and Archibing Effiom (Gabon).
The minister spoke on a day the family of the late Simeon Obodo, who was murdered in India, also visited her to register their grievances.
Tension between Nigerians and Indians has escalated since Obodo was found dead in Goa, a popular tourist destination, in the country’s west.
Onwuliri told the new ambassadors to ensure smooth relationship between Nigerians and their host countries.
She said, “A lot of things that will be coming from the host country to Nigeria will tell us. But please, if your host country is not treating Nigerians well, try your best to ensure that you improve on that.
“If it is not working, please tell us so that we also look at their own citizens in our country in the spirit of reciprocity we will know how we treat their nationals here. If they are not giving Nigerians visa, tell us so that we don’t give their nationals visa until we all agree to give visa.
“We won’t accept any country to treat Nigerians as people who have come cap in hand begging. We are not cap in hand, Nigerians will never be and we are not. That is why everywhere we go, we tell people we are not asking for sympathy, we are only asking for empathy.”
Punch
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