…Says we have a lot of work to do
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has disclosed that he will unveil in no distant time, a new vision for the nation’s foreign policy.
This was even as he assured staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of an interactive session in the coming days to better understand the needs of the ministry and develop plans to tackle the challenges.
Speaking yesterday on resumption of duty at the Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja, the immediate past Nigerian Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany said in due time, he will be unveiling a new vision for the nation’s foreign policy.
With the 4D Diplomacy which is centred on Development, Democracy, Demography and Diaspora, according to Tuggar, the Ministry hoped to find through the doctrine, modern solutions in order to address complex modern problems.
“I will be counting on your cooperation and partnership. By the Special grace of God and with your support, I believe we can place Nigeria where she belongs – at the pinnacle of regional and global decision making,” Tuggar said.
Earlier, Tuggar noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is at the forefront of promoting Nigeria’s interest and protecting Nigerian citizens abroad.
Tuggar also said as a historically important ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has long represented the highest standards of excellence, adding that it was therefore the job of the Ministry to ensure that the standards never failed.
“Each and everyone of us has a key role to play. These are turbulent times. From the unfolding political crisis in Niger Republic, to the regional insecurity and economic uncertainty, we have a lot of work to do,” Tuggar further said.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa, said the staff of the Ministry were available to work with Tuggar and the government to formulate, articulate and implement Nigeria’s foreign policy.
While expressing confidence in the ability of Tuggar to lead the ministry in achieving its objectives, Lamuwa explained that over the years, Tuggar has achieved so much from the state level, through the federal level and to the international level.
“For us in Foreign Affairs, I think we should thank Allah for bringing him to us because we have long been praying to have a minister who can just hit the ground running,” Lamuwa stated.