INCREASE PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN NIGERIA AND JAMAICA – LAWAN

Ameh Caroline

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has called for better and more engagement between Nigeria’s parliament and that of Jamaica.

Lawan made the remark when he received in his office on Wednesday the Jamaican High Commissioner to Nigeria, Esmond Reid who paid him a courtesy visit.

“We want to see a better and an increased engagement between our parliament and that of Jamaica,” Lawan told his guest.

The Senate President said both Jamaica and Nigeria would benefit with an increased interraction between the two parliaments, leading to sharing of experiences and exchange of visits.

Lawan said Nigeria’s National Assembly and particularly the Senate would always be available to work with their Jamaican counterparts.

“It is our pleasure to continue to work with you in bilateral and multilateral situation because we believe that we have a common destiny with you.

“Nigeria and Jamaica have enjoyed the best of bilateral relationship because of our history.

“We believe, for a long time that Jamaicans are our friends, brothers and sisters and therefore we continue to relate on that basis and the relationship can only be better.

“We believe such a relationship should also lead to the growth and development of trade between the two countries,” Lawan said.

The Senate President said while Nigerians continue to visit Jamaica for tourism or trade, “we will also appreciate more Jamaicans coming to Nigeria to see where some of these movements started from.

“Our belief is that many Jamaicans who might have had their origin here will be very glad to be in this part of the world to see the kind of environment that they started their journey from.”

Jamaican High Commissioner, Esmond Reid said his visit was “to highlight that this year 2020 represents the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

To mark the anniversary, according to the High Commissioner, there would be anniversary chattered flights from Lagos to Montego Bay in Jamaica.

The chattered flights, he said, would be a historic occurrence because Jamaica and Nigeria had never had such direct flight in their more than 400 years historical past.

“So I wanted to bring this development to your attention and to the attention of members of the Senate and enlist your support and encouragement to prospective participants in this development and because this will certainly be an important development in the strengthening of our relations for the next 50 years and beyond,” Mr Reid said.