According to the federal government of Nigeria, the Nigerians residing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines did not seek to be relocated after the island was devastated by a volcanic activity.
Following years of dormancy, the Caribbean island of St. Vincent exploded in April, placing inhabitants in desperate need of emergency supplies.
Levi Odoe, the consul-general in charge of St. Vincent and the Grenadines islands, stated that around 230 Nigerian nationals, mainly medical students, were detained following the volcano explosion and required help to travel back to their home country Nigeria.
According to the consul official, they, the stuck Nigerian students, have been contacting him, seeking to see what could be achieved, and according to him, the best thing to handle the situation would be to seek an appointment with the President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan.
“As such, we are all here to seek any and all support that can be provided to the Islands and our Nigerian nationals who are stuck there.”
However, in a statement published later, Ferdinand Nwonye, spokesperson for the Foreign ministry, stated that while the Nigerian nationals on the island had been impacted by the volcano eruption, there had been no appeal from any of them to be rescued back home.
Nwonye further stated that Odoe’s position as the island’s consular was ended in July of 2019 and requested him to stop presenting himself as an official.
According to the spokesperson’s statement, the Foreign ministry wanted to clarify a few things in light of recent media claims stating that Nigerian expatriates are stuck in the island regions of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a result of a volcanic explosion in the Caribbean.
First of all and primarily, the High Commission of Nigeria in Trinidad and Tobago covers the island country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“Secondly, the Nigerian Delegation in Trinidad and Tobago is in communication with the leaders of the Nigerian Community Association present in the island country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This community organization was led by Dr. Folu Ayanleke.
The Nigerian diaspora undoubtedly faced the effects created in the aftermath of this sad natural catastrophe and does require some aid supplies, but there has been no desire for relocation back home.
The Government also conveyed its wishes to inform the people that Dr. Levi Wilson Odoe’s position as Honorable Consul for the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines was discontinued on July 16, 2019. The government officials also requested Dr. Odoe to stop presenting himself as an official since he is not in a capacity to pursue assistance from private or government representatives on behalf of the Nigerian students present in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria, the High Commission of the African country in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is fully aware of the students’ difficulties and is collaborating closely with the leaders of Nigerian Community Association to give required assistance to the impacted individuals.
