US-based Nigerians, under the auspices of Nigerian Union
Diaspora (NUD), have congratulated the country’s President-elect. Mr. Donald
Trump, on his electoral victory and urged him to run an equitable
government.
The NUD’s congratulatory message was contained in a
letter to Mr. Trump. Dated 20 November and jointly signed by Dr. SKC
Ogbonnia, Secretary-General, and Mr. Bayo Oluwasanmi, Executive
Director (Political Affairs), the letter called on Mr. Trump to remember his
victory speech in which he said: “it is now time for America to bind wounds of
division”.
“This statement is especially important considering the
divisive tone that characterized the long presidential campaign.
“We strongly encourage you, henceforth, to capitalize
on the post-election goodwill and extend an open hand to all Americans,
including minority groups, most of who were frightened by certain aspects of
your campaign that were widely viewed with apprehension.
“But with your pledge to ‘be president for all’,
Nigerian-Americans are emboldened to stand willing, ready, and able to do all
we can to the enormous work of healing the country and building a better
America for all its citizens; an America that works well for all the
people is a pillar of global peace and stability,” the letter said.
The NUD, the umbrella organization of people of Nigerian
descent outside Nigeria, said it has over 2.4 million members in
the United States. It further said that Nigerians contribute over $150
billion annually to the US economy. The group added that it would arrange
a meeting with Mr. Trump’s to explore opportunities of working together.
NUD’s letter traced the history of Nigerians in
the United States back to over four centuries, during which it said they
have made immense contributions in all spheres of US national development. It
explained that Nigerians remain the most credentialed immigrant bloc in the
United States, as they have demonstrated in the fields of research, education,
healthcare, military, engineering, economics and job creation among others.
The NUD added that it hopes that the Trump administration
will recognize the significant pedigree of Nigerians and forge lasting
relationships them as well as with the Nigerian nation.
“Aside from being the flagship country of the African
continent, Nigeria has the abundant resources to advance strong
bilateral relations with the United States on mutually
beneficial terms. The well-being of Nigeria on the African
continent is the well-being of the people of Nigerian descent in America,”
the NUD added.
It equally called on Mr. Trump to consider his
position, on assumption of office, as the leader of the world’s most
influential country to run a government devoid of racial, gender, religious and
ethnic prejudices, adding that he has a responsibility to treat everyone
equally.
“Posterity beckons on you, therefore, to break from the
unfortunate past—to finally accord the Nigerian nation as well as the
Nigerian-Americans similar attention as other leading countries of other
continents and their immigrants in the United States, including but not limited
to policies on trade, immigration, terrorism, global security, economic
opportunities, social issues, and human rights. Just policies
on Africa will go a long way in binding ‘the wounds of division’ that
have existed between African-Americans in general and the larger American
population,” the letter concluded.
- SaharaReporters
0 Comments