Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Ishola, has appealed to Nigerians in the UK and the diaspora to avoid creating tension and accept the impending court verdicts on the last general elections.
Speaking at the launch of “Milestone” at the high commission in London on Wednesday, Ambassador Ishola decried the “tense atmosphere” being created by some people over the anticipated verdicts on election petitions in the country, stressing that elections should be seen as “part of the process of enthroning leadership and people should learn to be good winners and losers.”
He urged Nigerians to always think about their country first and focus on how to make the country work better; pointing out that the high commission had provided an enabling environment for all Nigerians in the UK to feel at home.
He further said, “There is no dichotomy in the Nigeria High Commission. We see everyone as part of a community that destiny has brought together.”
Ambassador Ishola advised passport applicants to apply at least six months before the expiration of their passports to guard against resorting to short-cuts or going through the wrong channels, warning that applicants must stop patronising touts because it “corrupts the process”.
In her remarks, the head of chancery, Ms Benita Obazee, listed the milestones launched by the high commissioner as modernised in-house canteen that served traditional Nigerian/African foods; the commission’s newly designed user-friendly website; the digital windows that displayed and promoted Nigeria’s culture and achievements; and the physical transformation of the adorned and beautified embassy buildings.
