By Emman Ovuakporie
The Federal Government has conferred citizenship on 82 foreign nationals based in Nigeria including the wife of former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, Mrs Habibatu Ladoja.

Speaking at the event Tuesday, Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho (rtd) who represented President Goodluck Jonathan said: “The grant of Nigerian citizenship is indeed a sacred exercise to honour deserving foreigners in adherence to the provisions of the various enabling laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He explained further that “it is at the full discretion of the President through the advice of my ministry to approve that a foreigner who desires to acquire Nigerian citizenship has satisfied the conditions set therein particularly with regards to being of good character and conduct, of full age, contributing meaningfully to the development of their Nigerian community.”

In a chat later with the Vanguard, an elated Mrs Ladoja said she was proud to become a Nigerian as her mother is a Nigerian while her father is from the Republic of Benin.

Her husband, Senator Ladoja told newsmen that “I have fully acquired her with certificate of occupancy.”