Dependent relations: UK ambassador assures Nigerians students, professionals
…seek support for Tinubu’s Govt.
The Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Sarafa Tunji Isola has assured Nigerian students and professionals that the current challenge of inability to go with dependent relations will be resolved soon as others were in the past.
Speaking during a meeting with the Nigerian students and lecturers at the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom, while attending the institution Convocation ceremony, Ambassador Isola noted that the initial approval that allows students and other professionals to move to the UK was as a result of his discussion with the UK government when he assumed duty two years ago.
“I’m told that we are having a challenge now, As I said, well a challenge is meant for human beings to solve and we will also solve that. We are being challenged on account of dependent relations that come with the students, it’s a challenge but we will resolve it. Nigerians are very resilient,” he said.
Recall that the British government has announced in May this year, that from January 2024, international students studying in the UK will no longer be able to bring dependants with them on their student visa, aside from those on research postgraduate programmes.
The announcement, made in a written statement by home secretary Suella Braverman, stated that the government is “removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated research programmes.”
The ambassador insisted that “Nigerians are very resilient people”, noting that a look at Nigerian’s history, and what she had survived, “not many nations have survived such in their existence.”
He said, “We went through a civil war. We went through so many crises by the time the whole world think we are getting into the precipice. We have bounced back.
“That is the spirit of Nigeria.”
Isola commended the students and Nigerian lecturers at the University of Bolton for the spirit of unity, which he said he has not seen in other places in the UK.
“I’m happy today, that what I’m seeing is the Nigerian spirit, so I can go to other parts of Britain and tell them that I have found Nigerian spirit in Bolton. What is the Nigeria spirit that I have found here, that is what has become the greatest challenge for us in the UK.
“I’ve not seen it yet and that is bonding, and networking,” he stated.
He lamented that this bonding was also lacking among the Nigerian elites in the UK, adding that despite the fact that Nigeria has seven Member of Parliaments (MPs) in the House of Commons today, the bonding is lacking as British Nigerians irrespective of the party they are representing.
He said he made some efforts to initiate a well coordinated network among Nigerian students in the UK when he assumed duty, but the universities could not give him access on the premise of data protection.
He stated, “So I said, I’m not going to give up because I believe that your generation is the one that will take us to where we are going. The diaspora community of any nation is very key. And if you see the way Chinese, British Chinese and Indian British bond together here, I see no reason why we cannot do that.
“This bonding is very important and we will continue to be good people, especially to our host community. That was why I insisted that we will not sit down, that we also have to honour the British national anthem, because we are on British soil and that’s the way it should be. So in subsequent times, whatever you do, as you render the Nigerian anthem, you must also render the British anthem. Otherwise you may get a query from the palace.”
He charged the student union leadership to fashion out a model for him on how Nigerians across the UK could be bonded and network.
He expressed that even when some Nigerians come for renewal of passports or application of passports, they will be on the quee, and would not talk to each other, everybody will just be working on the phone.
“Sometimes, I will just cease the phone and I will say, hey, some of you go to church, go to a mosque and says Almighty God should bless you with a helper. And He will place your helper just in front of you and you’ll be there for 30 minutes busy with your phone and you will say God has not answered your prayers,” he said.
Nigeria’s Unity
The ambassador urged Nigerians to eschew primordial things, ethnicity, religious and others, noting that such impede development of countries.
He expressed that Nigeria’s unity is in her diversity, stating that the diversity should be an achievement and not a liability.
“As of today because of our strength, we have the president of the African Development Bank, Akinwunmi ADESINA, a Nigerian from the South West of Nigeria. We have the Deputy General Secretary of the United Nations, Amina Muhammed, a Nigerian from the North East of Nigeria. On the top of it, we have the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from the South-South, what am I saying, if we are not Nigerians, how do you think that could have been possible, we will just be Oduduwa Republic, Calabari Republic and we won’t even have a voice in the international community,” he said.
Isola said Nigeria command respect because of her population. “One hundred and twenty five million people. I was always telling my British friends that they can take four Britain out of Nigeria. So our diversity must be optimized. We have what it takes to be great. This primordial issues, this man is Ibo, this man is Hausa, we should do away with it. Just like we have with British people here.
“It is still one United Kingdom. So we have a lot to do. I am giving that charge to you to start with your fellow students across the UK, how do you come together and bond and come to me with the representatives of national association of Nigerian Students in the UK. I have not seen one in the past two years. I challenged you on this I am looking forward to it. Mr. President kindly get in touch with your counterparts in other institutions and come to me,” he stated.
Patriotism
He equally tasked Nigerians on patriotism, stating that it has been a big challenge for the country.
“Another challenge that we have is lack of patriotism. We attack our leaders, and I’m not aware of any country that engaged in attacking its leaders that will develop.”
Going through memory lane, the ambassador recalled how the nation’s first prime minister, Tafawa Balewa, was killed in a bush and his corpse was found three days after.
He spoke on how others were humiliated, while some died in
office, maintaining that Nigeria still need the support of the former leaders to aid the new one in charting the right course for the country.
“Each time we bring our leaders down, we are gradually killing our country because those leaders need to come together. You know, join hands with whoever is the present occupant for the development of the country. Now we have started with Tinubu,
“We can make our points known, we can criticize our leaders, but we should stop destroying them. That’s the second challenge I’m throwing at you. Finally you have all been good ambassadors here, please continue to be good ambassadors and on our part we shall continue to support you.”
