Nigerian High Commissioner to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan, Ambassador Mohammed Bello Abioye, has called on Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliations, to give the incoming administration of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, maximum support.
Abioye, who said that Tinubu is well prepared for the job and up to the task, however, said that he needs the support of all to take Nigeria to greater heights.
The envoy, during a video conference interview with journalists, hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for laying a solid foundation for Tinubu to build upon.
He expressed confidence in the ability of Tinubu to make life abundant for the Nigerian masses, recalling how he made Lagos the envy of other states of the federation during his time as governor.
On his stewardship in Pakistan, Abioye said that “Nigeria and Pakistan enjoy a very cordial relationship diplomatically, politically and economically and we have been building on that.”
The envoy said the Nigerian embassy has opened talks with the Pakistani government on some areas of collaborative effort and partnership to move the present level of trade volume between the two countries up.
“Areas, where Nigeria can collaborate with Pakistan, include education, agriculture, pharmaceutical, security, real estate, information technology and textiles. I recall that some 30 years ago, we used to have Pakistani coming to teach in Nigerian schools. Pakistan also has a robust textile industry which Nigeria can learn from,” Abioye said.
On the issue of security in Pakistan, the envoy said: “Contrary to the widely held opinion, Pakistan is peaceful. Though we cannot rule out the commission of certain crimes as applicable to any country in the world. We live in peace in Pakistan. They are very good in terms of monitoring people’s movement and quickly nip crime in the bud. Pakistan is not a bad place to live. The infrastructure here is also very good.”
He commended the federal government for its quick intervention in evacuating Nigerians from Sudan, saying that, “the government has done very well.”
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then