Tributes as Nigerian community, Oba Tejuoso bid Tafida bye as UK envoy

August 9, 2015 354 Views Comment Off

The Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Dalhatu Tafida and his wife, Hajiya Salamatu Tafida, were officially sent off by members of the Nigerian community at the ambassador’s official residence, Abuja House, Kensington, on Saturday evening.

Guests at the packed party included the Osile of Oke-Ona, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, and his Olori.
Representatives of the various Nigerian organisations and associations joined the umbrella body, the Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom, CANUK, in giving the longest serving Nigerian High Commissioner to the Court of St James’, a befitting goodbye at the party dubbed a “Celebration of Service.”

Tributes to the outgoing ambassador were led by the incumbent chairman of CANUK, Tunde Loye, and his predecessor, Chief Bimbo Afolayan; Dr. Mark Abani, CANUK’s first chairman was another high profile attendee, as well as former Nigerian Television Authority, NTA news anchor, Chief Julie Coker – who recently turned 75- and others from the Nigerian Council of Elders , including the chairman , Chief Adebayo Oladimeji.
Encomiums were also poured on him from others, including those from the duo of Henrietta Abraham and Dr Paul Eke, both of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation Europe, NIDOE, UK south and North chapters.

Tafida, in his response, joked that he had either been sacked or retired five times in his life so, “I am immune to sacking and retirement.”

Listing the occasions when he had tasted retirement and sacking in the past, Tafida, who was a former personal physician to Second Republic president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, and also a senator, told the gathering at the back of his house: “I was sacked as a personal physician to a former president ,” and also sacked as a senator when the military took over in the early 80s, so being recalled -sacked – last month by the presidency with the ambassadors of Nigeria to the United States and Canada, among others , isn’t new.”
He went further and listed having a united Nigerian community “that is coherent , with leadership in various parts of the UK,” as one of his accomplishments.