By Rosemary Okoduwa
The newly appointed Nigerian Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency, Onueze O.C.J. Okocha, SAN, has formally resumed duties, with a call on Nigerians in Ireland to remain patriotic and contribute meaningfully to the development of both countries.
Okocha, who was received by officials of the Nigerian Embassy and members of the Nigerian community in Ireland, made the call while addressing the community shortly after his arrival.
The Ambassador-Designate, who reflected on his journey from childhood to becoming a prominent legal practitioner in Nigeria, expressed appreciation for the warm reception accorded him, describing it as overwhelming and heartwarming.
He urged Nigerians in Ireland to sustain their legitimate activities, make positive contributions to their host country and ensure that some of the values and opportunities gained in Ireland are transferred to Nigeria for the benefit of the country.
According to him, “I want to thank you very sincerely for this very rousing, tumultuous and heartwarming welcome. I feel very happy.
“Many of our lawyers in the early years studied here in Ireland. We are all compatriots and we will try to make sure that we uplift everything that you have been doing here.
“I feel very comfortable to be in your midst and I will take the relationship to a higher level because not just will we be a Nigerian community in Ireland, we should be like a principal group in this nation to show that we are here to contribute and also take some contributions from Ireland back to our country.”
Okocha assured the Nigerian community of his commitment to strengthening the relationship between the embassy and Nigerians in Ireland, adding that he would work with them to advance their collective interests.
Earlier, the Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ireland, Amb. Ibiyemi A. Ajiboye-Roberts, urged the Nigerian community to extend to the new Ambassador-Designate the same support and cooperation she enjoyed during her tenure.
She said the Ambassador-Designate was coming into an environment with an upwardly mobile and patriotic Nigerian community, urging members to provide him with appropriate advice and support in the right direction.
Ajiboye-Roberts said, “We have a very proactive, elitist Nigerian community here, so you are not going to have any problem.
“The Nigerian community here has broken the glass ceilings, they have exceeded every limit, and they are a group of Nigerians you can be proud of anytime, any day.”
She expressed confidence that the existing partnership between the Nigerian Embassy and the Nigerian community would continue to grow under the leadership of the new Ambassador-Designate.
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