Nigerians in America under the auspices of the Nigerian Union Diaspora, have said that they will soon meet with the United States President-Elect, Donald Trump, to discuss modalities for working with his administration after the exit of incumbent President Barack Obama.
C o n g r a t u l a t i n g Trump on his victory in the November 8 polls, the NUD said it would be arranging a meeting with the office of the US President-Elect with a view to exploring the opportunities of working together from the ongoing transition period through Trump’s tenure.
NUD, the umbrella Non-Governmental Organisation for the social, economic, and political empowerment of people of Nigerian descent outside the country, has over 2.4 million membership in the United States alone, contributing over $150 billion annually to the US national economy.
The union has, therefore, said it will soon be “arranging a meeting with your (Trump) office in due course to explore opportunities of working together, starting from the transition period to the years ahead in the Trump administration.”
The NUD in a statement jointly signed by its Secretary-General, SKC Ogbonnia and Executive Director, Political Affairs, Bayo Oluwasanmi, respectively, also reminded Trump of his victory speech in which he had said, “Now, it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division and work together…This statement is especially important considering the divisive tone that characterised the long presidential campaign.
We strongly encourage you, Mr. President-elect, to capitalise 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, understandably, 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 on 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 for global peace and stability.”
Tracing the US history back to over four centuries ago, NUD said that, having contributed immensely in all spheres of the country’s national development, NigerianAmericans were the most credentialed ethnic group in the United States.
The union added that due to this, they had continued to exemplify leadership in the fields of research, education, healthcare, military, engineering, economics, and job creation, among others.
The statement said, “We hope that the Trump administration recognises this illuminating pedigree, as it forges lasting relationships with, not only Nigerians in America, but also Nigeria as a nation. Besides 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. Mr. President-elect, as you become the leader of the most influential country in the world, the conscience of humanity beckons on you to lead an equitable and just administration, devoid of prejudice based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, and national origin.”
