Onyeama, US Secretary Of State Discuss Nigeria, US Issues Of Common Interest

… as Nigeria, Ghana engage on bilateral issues

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, yesterday, engaged his United States counterpart, Mike Pompeo, on bilateral and multilateral issues.

Onyeama disclosed that the issues discussed were of common interest to both the Federal Government and the Government of the United States.

The diplomatic interface is coming after the Federal Government’s Committee on Citizens Data Management and Harmonization said recently that Nigeria has substantially met the demands by the United States, following the visa ban on Nigeria in January, 2020.

However, Onyeama who disclosed his interaction with Pompeo on his Twitter handle, @GeoffreyOnyeama, did not state the specific issues discussed during the encounter.

Onyeama further said that the issues were discussed over the phone and the deliberations were fruitful.

“Had a very good phone call with United States Secretary of State, @mikepompeo, on bilateral and multilateral issues of common interest,” Onyeama said.

In a related development, the Federal Government and the Republic of Ghana, met yesterday in Abuja where both countries engaged on bilateral issues.

The meeting is coming after the forceful closure of shops owned by Nigerians in Ghana and other acts of hostility recently outlined by the Federal Government.

The Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, in a statement issued in Abuja, said senior government officials from Nigeria and Ghana, met in Abuja to improve relations between both countries.

Those in attendance were Ghanaian Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Allan John Kyeremanteng, who led the delegation, the Minister of Information, Ghana, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and the Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Mohammed Habibu Tijani.

Representing the Federal Government were the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, amongst others.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that a delegation of senior Ghanaian Government Officials led by Hon. Allan John Kyeremanteng, Minister for Trade and Industry, arrived Abuja, Nigeria today, 3rd September, 2020 to hold discussion with their Nigerian counterparts.

“Other members of the Ghanaian delegation include: Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister for Information and Hon. Mohammed Habibu Tijani, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

“The Nigerian delegation to the meeting was led by Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment. Others present at the meeting were: Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture and Ambassador Zubairu Dada, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The Meeting also had in attendance: Representative of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Comptroller General of Immigration; and Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC).

“The delegations of both countries had successful bilateral engagement on improving Nigeria/Ghana relations,” Nwonye said.