Our support to every Nigerian in need has made us very strong – NYD President, Onyeke
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Wife of Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic, Mrs. Cecilia
Obisakin (2nd from left); Mrs. Ojeleye (1st left), NYD
President Emmanuel Nwachukwu Onyeke (3rd right), Mr. Ohaegbu Benjamin
(2nd right); and, Mallam Saliou Karim (1st right) at
Nigeria House Cotonou on Tuesday, December 3, 2013.
PHOTO: MAURICE ARCHIBONG. All Rights Reserved. |
The President of the Benin
Republic Chapter of Nigerian Youths in Diaspora (NYD), Mr. Emmanuel Nwachukwu
Onyeke, has identified succour to distraught compatriots across the
neighbouring country as the source of his body’s galloping popularity.
Speaking with mauricearchibongtravels
in the Beninese economic capital, Cotonou, recently; the NYD President said:
“No Nigerian has ever been abandoned by us. Since our association began
operating in Benin about five years ago, we have always assited anyone that
cried to us: provided the person seeking solace has genuine reason”.
The NYD, working
hand-in-hand with Nigerian Embassy Cotonou, has helped to secure the release of
detained compatriots, according to Onyeke. Aside from working to free detained
Nigerians, Onyeke added that, NYD frequently provides funds to stranded ones to
facilitate their return home.
Apart from the NYD
President, mauricearchibongtravels also met three other executive members
of the body in Cotonou. The trio: Mr. Abdullahi Sanusi Koguna, Mr. Ohaegbu
Benjamin and Mallam Saliou Karim are Vice President, Secretary and Director,
Admin/Finance; respectively of NYD.
The NYD chiefs were at Nigeria
House, Cotonou; on Tuesday, 3 December, 2013; to deliver 10 bags of rice to the
Association of Nigerian Women in Benin Republic (ANWIB). The donation was NYD’s
contribution to ANWIB’s noble efforts to succour widows and orphans, among
others.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s
envoy to Benin Republic is Ambassador Lawrence Obisakin. This ambassador’s
wife, Mrs. Cecilia Gbemisola Obisakin, is the arrowhead of ANWIB. Mrs. N.
Ojeleye, ANWIB Chairperson at Nigeria House, Cotonou; accompanied Her
Excellency, Mrs. (Dr) Obisakin in taking delivery of the rice donation by NYD.
While expressing gratitude
to the NYD executives led by the President, Mr. Onyeke, for their donation; Mrs.
Obisakin said: “I am impressed by your generosity and your gift will go a long
way in helping those in need, where our events will take place”.
Aside the 10 bags of rice,
ANWIB had buses-load of other gifts; all of which were freighted to the
Beninese city of Parakou and subsequently presented to, among other
beneficiaries, an orphange (Orpheinat) run by the Catholic
Mission in Tchatchou, near Parakou.
The NYD scribe during a
chat with mauricearchibongtravels inside the office of Mr. Onyeke, said
the association “has been in existence since five years ago”.
When asked how come we
never heard of its existence, this was the interjection of NYD Vice President,
Mr. Koguna: “We have been more interested in working than merely blowing our
own trumpet. May be some people in Nigeria have never heard of us, but I can
assure you that all our compatriots in Benin Republic are aware of our
existence because of the things we have been doing. The NYD, working with the
embassy, has touched many Nigerian lives in Benin Republic”.
Speaking further, Ohaegbu, who described the NYD
as “an association whose presence is acknowledged by Nigerian Embassy Cotonou”,
added that the body “was formed to bring all Nigerian youths together, thus
fostering national unity; to impart on Nigerian youths resident in Benin
Republic the need to positively re-brand their country’s image in the foreign
land; and, to guide them to abstain from crime”.
