Confab adopts Diaspora voting, establishment of Commission

Prof. Ibrahim Gambari

Prof. Ibrahim Gambari

Prof. Ibrahim Gambari
Prof. Ibrahim Gambari

The National Conference on Tuesday adopted the report of its Committee on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters for Diaspora voting and establishing of Nigerian-Diaspora Commission.

The committee’s report was presented by its Chairman, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, a former UN Under-Secretary General.

The conference agreed that the constitution should be amended to enable law-abiding Nigerians resident abroad to be eligible to vote in Nigeria election.

It adopted the creation of the Nigerian-Diaspora Commission and that Nigerian International Passports should be valid for 10 years instead of the current five years.

It resolves that French Language be made compulsory in primary and secondary schools as a strategic foreign policy tool, while appointment of career and non-career diplomats should be 70 to 30 ratios.

The conference adopted the recommendation that Nigeria should continue to practice economic and citizens’ diplomacy as well as remain a non-aligned country to reaffirm its sovereignty.

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It also adopted the recommendation that the Federal Government should come up with the policy of resettlement for Bakassi indigenes.

It also approved a recommendation that prisoners exchange between Nigeria and other countries should be on equal terms.

The conference adopted a recommendation that government should exercise caution on reduction of Nigeria’s missions abroad.

In adopting the above proposal, the committee noted that if Nigeria was to compete with South Africa and Egypt for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, it needed more missions to catch up with both countries.

The committee approved a recommendation that Nigeria should work toward the early introduction of a single currency in ECOWAS in order to promote trade and investment within the region.

NAN reports that the committee’s report was the 15th to be adopted by the conference.

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