As CMS Grammar School Alumni UK-EU celebrates
By Milton Tella – Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola graced CMS Grammar School 162nd Founder’s Day Anniversary Celebrations by the Old Grammarians Society UK-Europe (OGS) as the Special Guest of Honour/Chairman of the occasion.
The guests at the Founder’s Day anniversary celebration were treated to a five star reception at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, Park Lane, London on Saturday 31st July, 2021.
The OGS UK-Europe Executives, promised to introduce solar electricity at an estimated value of £350,000 to cover over 15 buildings at their old school.
Ambassador Isola mingled, danced and had meaningful engagement with guests representing various secondary schools alumni associations in the UK at the event.
In his address, the High Commissioner offered to collaborate with Nigerians in the UK on shared interests. He said, “If you come forward with nice proposals we will support you.”
He further said, “The strength of Nigerians in the United Kingdom is estimated to be valued in the region of £70 billion but Nigeria is not getting such value. The Indians and the Chinese in the UK pull together, they are not individualistic and that is why they are able to make a huge impact in their home countries. We need a different orientation by pulling together as Nigerians to make the required impact back home.
“Nigerians in the UK should not develop apathy towards what is happening at home because Nigeria belongs to all of us and nobody will develop that country for us except Nigerians.
I have no doubt in my mind that the capacity we have in the UK, if pulled together, can be a good navigator towards the development of our country. Of course as a country we do have our challenges, but which country does not have challenges.
The strength of Nigeria is in its human and material resources and we have that in abundance. So please my brothers and sisters, I am pleading with you on this occasion that it is time for us to come together to develop our country. By pulling together we can achieve so many things.”
Diaspora remittance
“In the year 2019, the diaspora remittances to Nigeria was $25billion dollars, in 2020 due to Covid-19, it reduced to $21billion but unfortunately, 70% of it is going into consumption. Invariably, the kind of resources that exist in our diaspora, if channelled towards the productive sector of the economy will mean having an average of $15billion into our economy. That by itself, is even more than our national budget. So, I seize this opportunity to call on us all to devise means of engaging more in the productive sector.
The productive sector l talk about, is not something big, cottage industry, block industry for a cousin, cassava farm for an uncle back home etc.
I strongly believe that no matter the strength of any government of a nation, no government of a nation can really provide the kind of development that the nation requires.
We all live in the United Kingdom, the UK is driven more by the private sector. Same for US, Germany and others, I strongly believe and have no doubt in my mind that the kind of people we have here, have the intellectual capacity to drive this program. I take this opportunity to challenge all the alumni associations present here today to pull together and design programmes that can get Nigeria on the right trajectory, and I, as your High Commissioner, pledge here today to do all that is within my best to facilitate such programmes.”
Given these new policy priorities of His Excellency, Ambassador Sarafa isola, the High Commissioner to the UK, his emphasis on engaging more and catering for the needs of the diaspora, will serve the interests of Nigeria better at a global level.
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