Insecurity: Nigeria’s image suffering - Anyaoku

THE present security challenges in the country, occasioned by the insurgency of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, is having negative consequences on the nation’s image abroad, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, has said.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents, after leading the Presidential Advisory Council to submit its report to President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, on Tuesday, he noted that insecurity at home was a drawback to the nation’s foreign policy, but expressed confidence in the ability of government to successfully deal with the situation.

According to him, “the insecurity in the land is a drag on our foreign policy, no doubt, because our standing up abroad depends to a large extent on our domestic conditions. So, to the extent that we have insecurity at home, it is a draw back to our foreign policy.”

He also observed that since the return of democracy in 1999, Nigeria’s standing in the World had improved tremendously, noting that “before then, Nigeria standing in the World was very poor.”

Chief Anyaoku had earlier presented two publications by the council, in produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to President Jonathan.

Speaking during the presentation, President Jonathan noted that the documents were relevant to arm people in government, especially those just coming into the system, with the foreign policy direction of the administration.

Also speaking, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, saidthe report of the council was no duplication of efforts, though the ministry was already working in the same direction. 

He explained that both the Ministry and the Council collaborated on the new proposals forward to government on the way forward as regards the nation’s foreign policy agenda. 

“So, it is not in conflict. In fact, we are in the same side of the same coin. Don’t forget that members of the Council were once all members of the Nigerian Foreign Service. So, most of them are our seniors and we think alike and we all know the thrust of what the foreign policy of Nigeria must be and we have consistently maintain that stand,” the Minster asserted.