The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has cautioned Nigerians resident in China and elsewhere against breaking rules and regulations of their host countries.
The minister gave the advice in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Beijing, China.
Nigerians, anywhere in the world, should respect the law of their host countries. They are ambassadors of Nigeria even though the title may not be professional, he said.
“They must comport themselves as ambassadors knowing that the perception of Nigeria by others will, to a large extent, be based on the way they behave. We have too large a number of Nigerians who, unfortunately, prefer to engage in criminal activities.
“Of course that spoils things for the law-abiding Nigerians who are doing legitimate business and contributing positively to the country they live and also to Nigeria. My advice is: respect the laws of the country and comport yourself with dignity and work hard,” he said.
In an earlier interview, the Deputy Ambassador of Nigerian mission in Beijing, China, Mr. Aliyu Usman Bakori urged Nigerians in that country to shun criminality, saying nobody commits a crime in China, irrespective of nationality, without being punished.
“China is a country that respects rules and regulations. They don’t tolerate crime even by their citizens. Based on this, we ensure that Nigerians that are here behave well,” he said.
The envoy also advised Nigerians who desire to work in China to seek the employment before embarking on the journey.
He however said the embassy is making efforts to engage the Chinese government on getting employment for Nigerian students during their studies.
“We are trying to enter into agreement with the government of China to ensure that Nigerians are teaching if they want to. Though the pay may not be much but it will keep their body and soul together and give them a life-supporting means,” he added.
