Biden’s appointment of Nigerians shows we are hard working — Onyeama

The US President-Elect, Joe Biden’s appointment of three Nigerian citizens into his cabinet is evidence that a good number of Nigerians abroad are doing well, despite whatever contrary view anyone may have, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama has said.

“Mr. Joe Biden, the in-coming US President, has three Nigerians in his new cabinet. It shows that Nigerians are thriving – doing well wherever they are. Nigerians should continue to demonstrate their talents wherever they go,” said Onyeama.

• 2 years after commissioning, Baro Port remains desolate
• Tomb of sultan who fought the British neglected in ghostly Mbormi

The Minister, who said this at Okpara Square, Enugu when he flagged off the Public Service Works (PWS), one of the several programmes initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to empower youths in the country and discourage them from travelling abroad to seek for greener pasture.

Admitting that the situation of things has been quite rough and tough for the youths in the last ten years, Onyeama emphasized: “It hurts me how Nigerian youths are being trafficked to other countries where they are seeking for greener pasture, where some of them die without getting the greener pasture; hence this empowerment targeting at the young people of this country.”

He said that President Buhari was doing a lot to empower Nigerian youths and to stop them from running out of the country in search of so-called better life in foreign lands, thereby exposing themselves to the harsh weather and inhuman treatment by their host country.

“Some die in the desert while others perish in the high seas,” he said, urging the youths to make maximum use of such programmes.

“Most of the black doctors, scientists, who are doing well abroad are Nigerians,” Onyeama, said, recalling that when he travelled the Caribbean Island (Jamaica), he was pleasantly surprised to realize that one of the best hospitals in that country “is owned by a Nigerian, an indigene of Enugu State,” adding that “Nigeria is blessed with every good thing. All we need is good leadership.”

Onyeama further said: “I went with Mr. President to China about two years ago. And the President was thinking of how China was able to lift thousands of people from poverty in three years,” explaining that the three ingredients involved were “being able to feed yourself, having technical education and having capital to fund the programme.”

He said that President Buhari has set a target of lifting 100 million vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty in ten years, noting that this is a target no leader in Africa has set before.

He advised the 17,000 beneficiaries of the PSW programme in 17 local government areas of Enugu State to “take it seriously because once you are creating a job, it has a multiplier effects.”