The Senate has asked the Buhari Government to review the objectives of Nigeria’s foreign policy with a view to ensuring the relationship with other countries produce benefits to Nigeria.
This resolution on Tuesday, was followed a motion by Senator Stella Oduah titled “The Urgent Need to Re-Assess Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Objectives in Line with Emerging Economic Realities”.
Oduah said since independence at 1960, Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives “invented by Tafawa Balewa” have remained unchanged.
“Rather, every succeeding administration in the country has come up with new circumstantial mechanisms aimed at achieving foreign policy goals,” she said.
Speaking further, Oduah mentioned Nigeria’s contributions to international peace and development.
She said Nigeria has remained a major troop-contributing nation to United Nations Peacekeeping Operations around the world, starting with UN Peacekeeping Operations in the Congo called “Operation des Nations units àu Congo” in 1960, she said.
Despite all these contributions made by the nation, Senator Oduah expressed worry that Nigerians who reside abroad are treated with disdain.
She said, “So many of our nationals are being killed for reasons that are despicable.
“The xenophobic attack by South Africans against Nigerians who live and conduct businesses in their midst is still fresh in our minds.
The Senate thereafter, asked its Committee on Foreign Affairs to investigate several alleged maltreatment and killing of Nigerians abroad as well as “take into consideration the Doctrine of Diplomatic Reciprocity in its activities and report back to the Senate within four weeks.”
Further, it urged the Buhari Government “to reassess our foreign policy objectives in a hostile, unstable and competitive global environment which operates on the principle of survival of the fittest to ensure that Nigerian investors/businessmen are accorded the right of first refusal especially in those countries where Nigerian fought tirelessly for their liberation, emancipation, freedom, peace and security.
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