Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Namibia, Ambassador Lilian I. Onoh, is one of the few counytry’s career diplomats who have exhibited high patriotism to Nigeria. Indeed, Ambassador Lilians was one of those who opened the gate for the return of the country’s looted funds stashed away overseas.
Christian Agadibe
In this interview with Sunday Sun after the Namibian 30th Independence anniversary celebration held on March 21, she looked at her career in foreign service, experiences, the Nigeria-Namibia diplomatic relations, and advising Nigerians to strive to remain at home to help develop the country the more. Excerpt:
How did you take to diplomatic service, can we know how this career began?
Life is quite funny. All my life, I was an avid reader of spy and historical novels. I devoured Frederick Forsyth novels and Robert Ludlum and I even remember that the first time I went to a disco (dance party) with my late sister, Jojo, I carried the biography of Yoni Netanyahu into the disco and spent the entire evening reading it in the multi-coloured lights! I was fascinated by references to Third Secretaries, Ambassadors, duty etc. It seemed just the perfect job to do, but truth be told, my understanding then was more 007 than reality!
For whatever reason, I spent my youth keeping up with current affairs and thankfully, everyday, my school had the Times, Telegraph and Guardian newspapers delivered and I read them from cover to cover daily. Somehow, I think God had already programmed me for the career that I now have. My uncle was the last High Commissioner to Scotland (the Mission was closed in 1984 following the coup) and during the time he was in Edinburgh, my sister, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu and I had a close up look at the workings of a Mission. I recall that the New Year’s Eve Ball at the Edinburgh Dragonora was always the highlight of the year. It was very glamorous in those days. Academically, I studied Politics with International Relations with particular focus on Defence, Nuclear Weapons, Arms Racing and Arms Control. My father was particularly upset that I didn’t do Law, which I also had admission for, but the International Law component of the degree course mitigated my ‘crime’ a little. With this background, I think you understand that it wasn’t a big stretch to enter the diplomatic service.
What is the diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Namibia like?
Nigeria-Namibia relations predates Namibia’s independence. Many people don’t know or don’t remember that without Nigeria, Apartheid may have continued for many more years. In the 70s, Nigeria had an annual budget for the independence movements of Southern Africa – we supported SWAPO, the ANC, FRELEMO. We used to send them supplies through our Mission in Angola. Nigeria was instrumental in coming up with the three pronged policy of preparing Namibia for independence – Diplomatic, Resistance and Education, which involved sending their youth to various countries for proper education (which the Apartheid regime denied them). This was to ensure that when independence came eventually, Namibia would have a crop of educated citizens to take over from the White settler population. Many of Namibia’s current elite were educated in Nigeria, including the current Speaker of Parliament and their immediate past High Commissioner to Nigeria. There is even an association of Namibian students that were educated in Nigeria and they are very proud of their connection to Nigeria. Namibia’s Founding Father, President Sam Nujoma, often repeats that when Namibia got Independence and he became President, he met literally empty government coffers and didn’t even have functional office and he faced calamity. But then President Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) gave him USD1million in cash in those days to start off with. Without this gift, he says, he could not have done anything and the subsequent history of Namibia would not have been the same. IBB’s gift enabled him to buy basic office furniture, pay his staff and just begin the process of governing before revenue started coming in months later. Because of the incredible role Nigeria played in the independence of Southern African countries, it was designated as a “Frontline State” even though it was not a contiguous state. When they wanted to rename the street where our Chancery is located after a Nigerian hero, IBB graciously ceded that honour to General Murtala so the street was changed from Eiseb Strasse to General Murtala Mohammed Street. One day, I found an abandoned picture in my secretary’s office and in shock, I realised it was of President Nujoma and President Babangida at that meeting. I took the picture, dusted it up and hung it in our conference room where my own picture should be and I make sure that I recount the history to all visitors so that Nigeria’s incredible role in Namibia’s history will not be forgotten.
Over the years, what can you say has been Nigeria’s foreign policy thrust?
Nigeria has always had a foreign policy of concentric circles – Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world. Any other policy statement is simply a variation or embellishment of these three fundamentals. As an Ambassador, you know that Nigerians and Nigeria are your first priority and to God’s glory, I believe that throughout my career, I have upheld this principle, especially with regard to ensuring fair treatment of our citizens wherever I find myself.
How long have you worked in the foreign ministry and what indelible footprints have you left in the sands of time during these years in the service?
I’ve been with the Ministry for over 27 years now, to the glory of God because without Him, I do not believe that I could have stayed so long with the service. In terms of achievements, I have to mention three particular things that I will look back upon with great pride: one is when I was a third secretary in New York, my senior colleague in the 2nd Committee, Osita Anaedu, came up with a draft for the return of illegally stolen loot to countries of origin. When he showed it to me, I made some contributions to the draft and without informing HQ or the Head of Mission, we proceeded with the draft to the UN – first to the African Group before then taking it to the G77. Finally we took it to WEOG – Western European and Other Groups- the countries where most of the money was stashed. With all their opposition to the draft, mainly concerning corrupt diversion of returned funds and, of course, a natural reluctance to lose such a lucrative source of funds in their banking system, we were able to have that draft resolution passed in one session – a feat that Nigeria had never before achieved. That Resolution – UN Resolution 55/188 – is the foundational document which enables Nigeria to request the return of illegally stashed loot and has led to the return of billions of dollars to Nigeria from multiple countries. My second pride (and most probably my best achievement, if you ask me) was my consular work in Togo. When I first got to Togo, the Mission didn’t do any consular work and I then took it upon myself to start going to the Prison to find out about the Nigerians being held there. At that time, there were about 180 of them. Through persistence, I was able to get their names and the crimes they had committed only to discover that many were being held for no reason at all. I remember one unfortunate man who had been locked up for over three years because he had recommended a driver who later had an accident with his employer’s car and ran away. The employer, in frustration, locked up this poor man and that was how a hardworking man spent three years in jail without charge or trial for nothing! To cut a long story short, with God’s incredible grace, I was able to have the man and over 50 prisoners freed within a period of three months. Over the course of the remainder of my stay, I was able to have an additional 50 or more freed – some after trial that sentenced them to fewer years than they had already served in jail. There was a day that a particular Nigerian prisoner – Sani – was freed after five and a half years in jail. We had just left the court where his sentence of three years for stealing a car side-mirror was given and I found myself being cheered by a whole group of Togolese prisoners. Not understanding their joy, I asked the driver what was happening and he told me that since I had Sani tried and freed, the other seven Togolese men who had been arrested with Sani for the side-mirror theft were also free at last. I almost cried for joy that day. Truly, to see each prisoner walk free was always an emotional experience for me. I convinced the Charge d’Affaires that the Mission had to pay their transportation all the way to their home state and give them something to go home with. I know that truly, God was in charge because without prayer, I do not believe I would have been able to go through the gruelling processes required to free each prisoner. In this, as in everything else, I bow to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The third thing that I feel proud of was being Nigeria’s chief negotiator for the South Summit Declaration during the Havana Summit of 2000. I was a mere Third Secretary and it was an enormous responsibility to have been given. I must have done it well because before the end of the Summit, I had a job offer from the UN in Geneva, but I didn’t want to move – either to the UN or to Geneva.
During the Summit which was attended by so many Heads of State and Presidents that it was dizzying just watching them pass and identify who was who, I had the incredible privilege of meeting President Fidel Castro and even took a picture with him! Till tomorrow, that remains an indelible experience and if you’ve never watched President Castro speak, you should find any of his speeches on YouTube and see a true-born orator at work. There have been many others achievements over the years, but these three make me very happy to remember. Even now, each time that Nigeria recovers stolen money from any country, I feel a great sense of pride, knowing that I had a great deal to do with it being possible.
Is there special training for this kind of job because it sounds like you have to be a lawyer to do what you did. Secondly, what other skills would you say that a diplomat needs in addition to academic qualifications?
It’s a job that you are either suited for or you are not; and one for which you can never have too many skills. I am blessed to have had an exceptional lawyer, His Excellency, Chief C.C. Onoh as my father and my sisters, Ambassador Ojukwu, Alexandra and my late sister, Jojo, all studied Law. I found that a lot of legal knowledge was assimilated without my even being aware of it. That has helped me no end in carrying out my job, especially in international negotiations where a simple word such as “the” or “a” can carry enormous ramifications. Being able to divorce yourself from an issue is essential. I once had to argue against a UN Resolution condemning polygamy even though I come from a monogamous home and it is not a concept I agree with at all. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud because it seemed so outlandish to me, but that was my job as Nigeria’s representative. Interpersonal skills are de rigueur. One must be able to hold a conversation with a total stranger, so a very wide knowledge about literally everything is required. Simple things such as table manners, knowledge of a wide range of music, various cuisine, history – both ancient and modern – can make a huge difference. Other essential skills include critical thinking and being able to put yourself in your adversary’s shoes in order to be one step ahead. It helps not to take things personally and to understand that the other person is doing exactly what you are doing for your own country and, therefore, is justified in their actions, just as you are. That helps in reaching an equitable compromise because you will never get everything. One particular practice that I’ve maintained is that no secretary types my work. Because of all the spy novels I read, I learnt that oftentimes, the secretary was the weak link in keeping official secrets, so after graduation, I went to do a full secretarial course when computers first came on stream. I’ve always done my own work, no matter how many secretaries were available and as an Ambassador, I still do my work and send it to its ultimate destination first and only after I am sure that it is okay do I give it to the Communications Officer to send it through the general channel. In some cases, it never goes through the general channel. It is an essential safeguard.
What remarkable experiences can you say you had while working there?
Studying humanity and human behaviour is probably the most essential thing I’ve done in the Ministry and in my career. I’ve been blessed to have worked with some of the best human beings the Ministry had. You quickly learn that those who are most confident in their own intelligence and understanding of the craft are the kindest and most willing to impart knowledge. Conversely, you also learn that those who are not particularly intelligent are incredible schemers and can be lethal in their actions, so it’s always best to avoid them. You find that no person or position can induce awe or fear because when your work puts you in close contact with multiple presidents from all over the world, Hollywood stars, Nollywood stars, Star athletes and all sorts of people, high and low, you find that everyone is essentially a normal human being, each with their own strengths, weaknesses and challenges, just like oneself. Of course, one has had to work with some truly awful people and much as I am tempted, I shan’t mention them. I do, however, owe them a great debt of gratitude because they showed me exactly what I never want to become.
When you were appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador to Namibia, how did you feel about the appointment and what was the Namibia you met upon assumption of office?
Firstly, when you finally make the Ambassadorial – especially once you’ve passed the final hurdle of the Senate Screening, the sense of relief and achievement is fantastic. You’ve reached the pinnacle of your career and you finally feel free in a way that’s hard to describe. Your place of posting is secondary. I was head of Mission in Jamaica at the time I was designated as High Commissioner to Namibia and that made the move very seamless because I’d had two years of working in a Mission not too dissimilar to this one.
As for Namibia – it was not alien to me because during my university days in the UK, we had a lot of Namibian students and we all took part in boycotting Barclays Bank and demonstrating against Apartheid and all the other activism that one does as a student. In those days, I thought SWAPO was owned by all of Africa and that sense of Africa Rising was everywhere. Being posted to Namibia was exciting because I wanted to see that land that we had fought so hard for. The only thing I wasn’t prepared for was the Namibian winter. The cold is unlike anything I’d ever known. In winter, it’s so dry and cold at the same time that my knees actually hurt! I’ve never known anything like it! People are always shocked when I say that we have winter in June and that you need a heater, hot water bottle, thermals – in Africa.
How are Nigerians living in the country treated and of what help is your embassy to them?
We do not have too many Nigerians in Namibia – between 600 and maybe 1,000, including women and children. Most came with TAC during the early years of Namibian Independence when the country did not have enough educated blacks to man their hospitals, teach, lecture etc. I was informed by no less a person than the host President that those taught by Nigerian teachers routinely excelled above others. The immediate past Surveyor General of Namibia, Chief Okafor, came during those early years. Many of the senior professors and lecturers at the universities are Nigerians and one of the very few black-owned guest houses in Windhoek, Royal Taste of Africa, is owned by one of our own from Edo State. In essence, I am saying that most of the Nigerians here are professionals. We generally have very few consular problems and we still do not have anybody in jail. We have a very vibrant Association of Nigerians in Namibia (ANINAM); Ohanaeze and more recently, the Oduduwa association. What I like about the groups is the spirit of cooperation amongst them. They look out for each other and always bring any consular issue to the Mission’s attention for immediate action. They are first to know if anyone is detained at the airport or being harassed or is stranded and they quickly bring it to our attention. They have an extraordinary PRO called Lawrence who never fails to alert the Mission and they have proved a great help in the Mission’s work in Namibia. They even decided to start voluntarily teaching of our children in Namibia the native languages and I willingly made one of our vacant property available to them to use for this noble task. Honestly, I am proud of our citizens in Namibia. They are every ambassador’s dream. The Mission always takes up any issue concerning Nigerians that they bring to our attention. If I have to, I call all the Ministers and Permanent Secretaries I can reach to report an incident that affects a Nigerian and I believe that if I can’t rest because of the maltreatment of Nigerians, they too should join me in not resting until the problem is sorted out.
What are the challenges facing your mission in Namibia and how are you tackling them? We are aware that for some time, Nigeria and Namibia had a visa standoff?
The main challenge we encounter is mistreatment of Nigerians at the airport by immigration officials and it has been a recurring decimal. Last year, after the totally unwarranted detention and deportation of three of our citizens (bank workers who had only a seven-day break in Namibia), I took the decision not to issue visas to Namibian citizens wishing to visit Nigeria in the spirit of reciprocity. I sensitized our NIS and, of course, MFA on the decision and the background to it and remain grateful for their support from February to October 2019, when the matter was partially resolved. You will recall that our HMFA, H.E. Geoffrey Onyeama came to Namibia straight from South Africa after the visit of H.E. Muhammadu Buhari to South Africa to help straighten out the issue, as well as commission the Residence.
What was the outcome of the visit of the Honourable Minister?
You already know that His Excellency is a diplomat par excellence and can bring calm to a category five hurricane with his tact whilst still ensuring that we get our desired outcome. He did this when he came and got several concessions to ensure that Nigerians coming to Namibia are treated fairly at the airport.
So, are you saying that Nigerians coming to Namibia now receive fair treatment because we have read many complaints about the treatment of Nigerians in Namibia?
To be honest, the problem has not disappeared entirely. I should go on record to state that His Excellency, Dr. Hage Geingob, President of Namibia, has been very vocal in his demand that African passengers are treated better at the airport and he is a very staunch pan-African statesman. The problem is that, of course, he cannot be physically present at the airport where a mixture of ignorance and the residual effects of Apartheid on the psyche of the officials there still lead to mistreatment of our citizens on arrival. But as I said, whenever I am made aware of the situation, I will call, text, WhatsApp and generally bombard them till they do something. I had an exceptional officer who recently returned home at the end of her posting and she was amazing – she would go to the airport if there was a problem, whether it was Sunday morning, Monday afternoon – whenever. And she would only call me when she could proceed no further. I am praying to God that she becomes an Ambassador because it is that sort of dedicated officer that Nigerians need in their time of distress.
What advice would you give to Nigerians who wish to visit or live in Namibia?
Well, for now, Coronavirus has put paid to everyone moving anywhere. But on a more serious note, I have always said that if we put in half the effort we put in elsewhere into Nigeria, there would be no stopping us. I would never advise any Nigerian to move to Namibia, South Africa or anywhere else because we are so incredibly endowed that we have a greater chance of succeeding at home than anywhere else. Namibia has a population of 2.3 million in a landmass almost the same as Nigeria. Think of it – less than half the population of Enugu State in Nigeria. Economies of scale is very difficult and the market available to any entrepreneur is very limited. Right now, everything is from SA and when you want furniture, you enter a store, choose what you want and wait for maybe a week to six weeks for it to come from SA. Also, the legal requirements for getting residency in order to establish a business are very cumbersome and trying to circumvent them is usually futile – there are very few people so it’s easy to identify foreigners. Anyone who is being lured to Namibia or anywhere else by false promises should beware and think twice. East, West, North or South, home is best. With regard to visiting, I would advise anyone who wants to come for tourism to do intensive research first and know their exact itinerary because they will be grilled at the airport to establish if they know the tourist sites. It is not like London or New York where you can come and easily move around from one tourist site to another. It is always best to do packaged tours because you may need to drive 10 hours from one location to another and travelling in anything other than a rugged 4 wheel drive with back-up is not recommended. However, Namibia has some of the most majestic sceneries in the world and driving through the desert, especially on quad bikes is one of the most incredible things one can do. The utter silence of the desert is frightening. The stark rise of multiple sand dunes can disorient the faint-hearted. As for wildlife, they have it in abundance. Even driving from the airport, you often have to dodge the baboons and warthogs as well as Guinea fowl (fondly referred to as “National Chicken”).
Walking on dried salt lakes is also a unique experience. Driving with Sand dunes on one side and the roaring Atlantic on the other side is an exhilarating, but sometimes frightening experience. It is quite expensive though and paying USD200 per night for a standard room is fairly routine, so tourists should be financially prepared.
We see that the country has just celebrated 30 years of Independence and the inauguration of the President for a second term. How was it?
It was a grand and colourful occasion despite the scaling down of the occasion due to Covid-19. In fact, we were totally amazed that several presidents still showed their solidarity by coming despite the lockdown and it is a testament to President Geingob and the First Lady, H.E. Monica Geingos, who both command a lot of respect and affection worldwide. I was blessed to have my sister, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu here to witness the historic occasion with me. It is an amazing landmark for President Geingob. He was in Nigeria for the inauguration of H.E. Muhammadu Buhari in June last year and Nigeria would have had a high-powered delegation here, but for the Covid-19, which landed on Namibia’s shores exactly one week before the inauguration, leading to the very serious response H.E. Geingob took to protect Namibians, including barring international flights, cancelling the landmark 30th Independence Celebrations and the big events lined up for the inauguration and scaling it down to only 250 guests at State House instead of the thousands that would have been at the Independence Stadium.
So what does the future hold?
Well, I think like the whole world, we have to wait to see how the world emerges from this hideous virus. I don’t know the kind of world – economically, socially and culturally – that will emerge and how that will impact on diplomatic operations worldwide. I simply pray our Lord Jesus Christ to see us through.