Abike-Dabiri under fire over tweet profiling Nigerians in Indonesia
The Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has come under heavy fire following a tweet she posted in response to criticisms she got on Twitter.
Dabiri-Erewa was initially reacting to a viral video which showed Nigerian students at the GD Goenka University in Gurugam, India, being attacked by Indian students on campus.
Reacting to the video, the NiDCOM boss tweeted, “This happened Sat (Saturday) as a result of a fracas, during a football match between African and Indian students. The Nigerian Mission immediately took custody of 86 Nigerian students, invited the representatives of the Indian government, and got their commitment to ensuring the safety of the students who then returned back to campus on Sunday.
“Calm has returned to the campus. A few injuries were recorded and further investigations are ongoing. The Nigerian mission had made it clear that the Indian authorities would be held responsible if anything happens to any of the students.
“There is already a written commitment by the Indian Authorities to protect our students. Any student feeling threatened should pls report to the Nigerian mission in Delhi immediately.”
Following her response, an unsatisfied Twitter user (@sensegiver1) fired back at her: “She should go to Indonesia and see how Nigerians are treated. Mumu woman supporting a failed government. She’s equally part of the failure. Eye service!”
Not to be outdone, Dabiri-Erewa yanked off the gloves and fired back, saying, “Ode! You go to Indonesia, carry drugs, do cultism and come begging to be rescued from death sentence. Thank God for @ndlea_nigeria now saving people like you from death row.”
‘Ode’ is Yoruba for a foolish, idiotic or dense person, and is a synonym of ‘mumu.’
Following her response, Twitter users expressed outrage, questioning why a public official and diplomat will paint Nigerians as cultists and drug dealers to the world, and whether using uncouth language or going tit-for-tat, wasn’t beneath her.
Here are some reactions gathered by The Quest Times:
@obyezeks: Dear Abike @abikedabiri, What is this? Kai. This is messy. Please clean it up. Quickly. Please.
@VictorIsrael_ Abike Dabiri profiled Nigerians on her official page as Drug peddlers. This is the NDC chairman o. I’m so disgusted. This is what happens when you give power to people with history of bifurcated encephalon. May our kids never curse the universe for giving them dimwits as parents!
@FS_Yusuf_ After reading the gutter response Abike Dabiri gave to a young guy this evening, I decide to return to my TL to plead with you guys, to please VOTE WISELY. Lahor wowo, I use God beg una.
@SavvyRinu Your job is to help us build relationships with other countries and create a positive image of us out there but you just called us drug dealers. Well done.
@4EyedLiwa_Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa? A citizen whose tax pays for your lofty appointment in government is “ode”? With this statement, you have successfully classified all Nigerians, including those with legit ventures in Indonesia as drug traffickers. Congratulations.
@ikhide Abike Dabiri-Erewa is a government official, a state-sanctioned hooligan charged with overseeing the welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora. Nigeria is a vast crime scene. But you knew that.
@Weyimi The sooner these politicians of the old realize they don’t have the power anymore, the better. You answer to us the good citizens of Nigeria. People like Abike Dabiri and the like need to understand if they mess up, we will bring that nonsensical ego and pride to the ground.
@PureMinD_ If you don’t know the damage Abike Dabiri’s tweet will do in future when Nigerians are mistreated abroad, then you are not a smart person.
However, the NiDCOM boss also had her supporters, who said it was okay for a public official to lose it on social media occasionally, and respond to insults with even more insults.
Dabiri-Erewa herself has tweeted that; “No one can get under my skin. I reply when I want to and say what I want to when I want to and when I have the time. And I will boldly say “I said what I said.”
Responding to former Federal Minister Oby Ezekwesili, Dabiri-Erewa had tweeted: “I’m done on this. But out of respect for you, will ask, Clean what up? It’s okay for some untrained, uncouth guy to refer to me as “ mumu”, and I can’t call him “ode”. I’m not a public official that cows to bullying pls.“
A renowned, ace, former television personality and broadcaster, Dabiri-Erewa recently celebrated her 60th birthday.