A NEW SHERIFF AT NIGERIA HOUSE, NY

There is a new sheriff at the Nigeria house in New York.... Well, last Wednesday, May 7, the Mission had a party to introduce her to the diplomatic community, and this is where I found things to be a lot different from what was happening in the past.  Okay, I was driving through Nigeria House on 2nd Avenue and 44th Street in the evening of Tuesday, May 6, when I saw all these workers sand-blasting the front of that edifice, the best investment that Nigeria ever made.  I parked my car and looked around.  Yeah, there was a lot of cleaning of the front going on that night.

There is a new sheriff at the Nigeria house in New York.  Last week, I wrote about the new Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Prof. Joy Ogwu, assuming her position, having arrived the week earlier.  As I mentioned before, she is the third former Foreign Minister of Nigeria to assume the post, others being late retired Major Gen. Joseph Garba and current Adviser to UN Secretary General on Iraq and Myanmar, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.  Gambari was also Director-General of the Institute of International Affairs, and so is Ogwu.

Nigeria’s new Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary to the UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu

Well, last Wednesday, May 7, the Mission had a party to introduce her to the diplomatic community, and this is where I found things to be a lot different from what was happening in the past.  Okay, I was driving through Nigeria House on 2nd Avenue and 44th Street in the evening of Tuesday, May 6, when I saw all these workers sand-blasting the front of that edifice, the best investment that Nigeria ever made.  I parked my car and looked around.  Yeah, there was a lot of cleaning of the front going on that night.

Okay, I had been called on Monday and told that there would be a party for the new PR and my invitation would be with the guards.  I requested for two more cards, and I was told my guests could also come, the card would now be one plus 2, but unfortunately my guests had other things to do that evening, notice was too short for them. 

On Wednesday evening, my wife and I drove to New York, parked my car at my usual parking place, which at 3:00 pm the price comes down to $15 for the night.  We walked up to Second Avenue and looked at the building across and commented how clean and different it looked. We crossed over to the other side.  I looked across at the entrance of the Nigeria House, and saw two beautifully dressed ladies and a gent.  I said to myself what is going on here.  When we got there, we were warmly greeted, and welcomed to go into the building.  They were so courteous I almost turned around and left, thinking that this must not be Nigeria House on an event day, where people are so saucy sometimes, you wonder whether that’s a diplomatic mission, more like everybody is a big man unto himself.

We went in, more surprises.  Our cards were quickly and courteously handed to us.  Then there were about two or three other people waiting at the elevator, and one of the most beautiful ladies in that house was asked, actually volunteered to take us up.  Wow!!!  When we alighted on the 21st floor, it was more of the same, courtesy, courtesy, courtesy.  There were again two or three ladies waiting to welcome us in and shepherd us to where Ambassador Ogwu, accompanied by her deputy and the Defence Attache, was greeting her guests.

Photo, l-r: Defence Adviser Brig-Gen Solomon Giwa-Amu, Deputy PR, Mrs. Loretta Onyeani, PR Prof. Ogwu and Dr. Chika Onyeani, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, African Sun Times. 

People were lined up, shaking hands with the PR.  We greeted her, and I reminded her the short article I had written a week earlier about her arrival in New York, and the photo I put there with her and her husband.  “I hadn’t seen that photo before,” she said.  “It was taken by Oyiza Adaba,” I said.  She thanked me and my wife and I took photos with her especially since my photographer for the African Sun Times was already there.  We greeted the others and then departed from the receiving line. 

Well, let me tell you, the place totally looked different.  The carpeting was different and very clean.  There were high round tables where people could stand around, eat and deposit their used plates or drinks.  The place smelled really inviting, well let’s not forget the food where people were lined up taking their food.  The line was moving fast as there more people serving.  When it comes to food, you have to give to the Nigerians, they know how to prepare the best food, rice, fufu, pounded yam, egusi soup, bitter leaf soup, stew, all kinds of good meat and fish.  Everything, I confess, was excellently done, and they are usually excellently done even in the past.  The people serving took away used plates immediately, not letting anything ugly to lay around.

There were many Ambassadors from other countries.  You know, they come, stay for about 30 minutes or less, and off they go to another party.  A merry go round, a good thing they hardly drink much otherwise… One of the African Ambassadors told me, “I know her, have worked with her before, she is very solid.  I am going to do everything to help her navigate the ways of the UN.”

Later, the Consul-General Ibrahim Auwalu (he doesn’t like being addressed as Hon. Consul-General) took me to introduce again to the PR, talking about the interview we did with him, and the great job I personally feel he is doing there.  He has brought a lot of innovations and improved the attitude of his staff towards the Nigerian diaspora and the public at large.  “She insisted on me being made the Consul-General, didn’t even know me,” said the CG.  “He is very hard-working,” replied the Ambassador.  Well, we are all mutual admiration society.  “You guys have to help us improve Nigeria’s image,” Prof. Ogwu said.  “From what I have seen this evening, you have already started,” I said.  “Which Ambassador wouldn’t want to honor another invitation from you, with all this red-carpet treatment.”

Photo, l-r: Consul-General Ibrahim Auwalu, Chika Onyeani, and PR Prof. Joy Ogwu making a point about Nigeria’s image.

Yeah, there is a new sheriff in town at the Nigeria House, she is already beginning to cleanse Nigeria’s image by cleansing the House. 

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