Dr. Israel Ibeleme, aide to the Honourable Minister of Transportation, has condemned the negative comments from Nigerians living in diaspora, on the celebration of the country’s 60th Independence day anniversary. Dr Ibeleme noted that a vast percentage of Nigerians in Nigeria, were sponsored abroad by successive Governments of Nigeria, with the aim of coming home to impart the knowledge, adding that many of them, never reciprocate by coming home to support the growth of the Nation.

Dr Ibeleme said: “I’m wondering why Nigerians in Diaspora will come up on our sixth anniversary, to start making unguarded comments. Let me make it clear, 70 percent of those Nigerians in Diaspora were sponsored by Government. Either by this present Government or previous ones. They were sent to study, come home and impart the knowledge on their return. Most of them never returned and all they gave back are unguarded comments.

Highlighting some of the initiatives of the present administration, Dr Ibeleme said Nigerians were benefiting, one way or the other. “There’s no Nigerian that has not benefitted from the Nigerian Government, either present or the previous ones.
“The people who are living between Lagos and Ibadan and benefiting from the Lagos- Ibadan Railway project built by this administration under the supervision of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi as Minister of Transportation, are they not Nigerians? Few days ago, President Buhari commissioned the Itakpe – Warri railway and it is already benefiting those in Kogi, Edo and Delta States.

Talking about the Niger Bridge being constructed, will it not be beneficial to Nigerians? When you go from Abuja to Lagos, you find roads in many communities being constructed, are Nigerians not benefiting from these projects? If you have not benefited from these projects, you might have benefited from the N-Power or the Trader Moni or from the 774 thousand Special Public Works employment by the Federal Government. If you haven’t benefited personally, your relative or friend might have benefited from these welfare initiatives of Government.

He urged Nigerians to be more patriotic and think of ways to support Government in moving the Nation forward. “Lamenting and saying Nigeria will not be better is not the way to go about it. We should learn to project the image of our Nation. I am a Nigerian and I am proud to be a Nigerian and will not sit and watch someone insult us.
“We should change the narrative and think of how to add value to the Nation,” Dr Ibeleme said.