“He promised that he will visit Goa and get back to me and I believe that he will do that,’’ she said.
The minister warned that Nigeria would get “to the root of the matter’’, adding that the reactions that had trailed the killing of the Nigerian should send a strong signal to Indians.
“We will continue to tell the government of India to be more responsible and responsive as far as our citizens in their country are concerned.
“Our citizens in India are entitled to proper life just as Indians in Nigeria have it all, ” she said.
Mr Ejike Esinkonye, who represented the family of the deceased, said the community was still in pains over the death of their brother.
“Our brother was a young gentleman, who went to India for the greener pastures, so we see no reason why he should be murdered.
“If there is any community which indigenes should not be killed outside Nigeria, I think Ohaji/Egbema should be number one.
“We have well over 50 Indians living in our community, which is an oil producing area. We have Addax, Chevron and other oil companies, which have Indians working with them.
“Since 1957 when oil was discovered in my community, Indians have been in our land and we have never harmed any of them,’’ he said.
Akumefula said the deceased was an “Oji Offor’’, the second in succession to the shrine and deity of the community, the revered “Nwaku.’’
“Now that he has been murdered in cold blood what happens to his responsibilities?
“The young man has a mother, who is over 70 years, who takes care of her,’’ he asked.
The National President of NACOY, Moses Akumefula, expressed concern that some Nigerians in Goa, who protested the killing of their brother, were clamped into detention for more than three weeks.
He demanded that the corpse of their brother be flown to Nigeria with immediate effect and accorded a befitting burial by the first week of December.
The youth leader also asked the Indian government to tell the community “who will take care of the aged parents of Simon and his dependants.’’
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Minister threatens to sanction non-performing ambassadors (updates) By SundiataPOST, Abuja The acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, has threatened to sanction any Nigerian ambassador found wanting in the discharge of their duties, particularly in cases involving Nigerians.
Onwuliri gave the warning at the presentation of letters of credence to ambassador-designates to France, Austria, Romania, Venezuela and Gabon.
She urged the newly appointed ambassadors not to disappoint President Goodluck Jonathan and the confidence reposed in them by all Nigerians.
He said the ambassadors must be carriers of the present government’s “Transformation Agenda’’, which she said had rapid economic growth and advancement of the country as core pillar.
“There are many pillars to the transformation agenda but if you an ambassador, you are carrying the entire package because you will be talking about petroleum, aviation, labour, terrorism, employment and more,’’ she said.
She called on the ambassadors to maintain the soaring profile of Nigeria in the comity of nation and strive “to take it to the next level’’.
“You must work hard and read a lot, because when international journalists face you, you cannot tell them you do not know what is happening in the agricultural sector,’’ she said.
Onwuliri urged the ambassadors to give priority to citizen diplomacy, addin that the ministry frowned at cases where ambassadors would deliberately shun Nigerians in their host country.
“You must put you staff on notice that they have been posted to take care of Nigerians in their host country; if Nigerians are not living there we have no business having an embassy in that country,’’ she said.
She also expressed delight that the five newly appointed ambassadors are career diplomats who had spent more than three decades in the ministry.
She expressed the confidence that they would bring their long years of diplomatic experience to the new position.
The ambassadors are Mr Abel Ayoko (Austria, and concurrent accreditation to Slovakia Republic), Mr Okechukwu Muoh (Romania and Bulgaria) and Mr Hakeem Suleiman (France and the Principality of Monaco).
