The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has reacted to comments made by an Arise TV female anchor, Ayo Mairo-Ese, on Youtuber Emdee Tiamiyu’s interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Dabiri-Erewa reacted after she was wrongly quoted to have referred to Nigerians living abroad as drug abusers.
Tiamiyu had claimed that most Nigerians easily lose focus while schooling in the UK because they use the process of acquiring Masters degree as a route to gain entry into the country.
He granted the interview just after UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, announced a ban on Nigerians and other international students bringing their family members to the country for their Masters programme.
However, Tiamiyu was tongue lashed over his comments, which internet users described as malicious.
His comment on social media on Wednesday.
Mairo-Ese, reacting to the comment on an early morning show on Wednesday recalled President Muhammad Buhari’s comment that Nigerian youths are “lazy” and that Dabiri-Erewa also allegedly called the youths “drug dealers and cultists”.
She said: “I don’t know why Nigerians like to demarket Nigerians on the International scene.
“Take it back to 2016, our {resident had referred to Nigerian youths as largely lazy.
“And that United Kingdom should not grant them asylum because many of them are criminals.
“The chairman of NiDCOM, Dabiri-Erewa, also referred to Nigerian people as cultists and drug dealers.
“So what Emdee Tiamiyu has said is in accordance to what our leaders are saying.”
Aggrieved by Mairo-Ese’s comment, Dabiri-Erewa, on her official Twitter handle, debunked the claims made by the presenter.
She then called for the orientation of the presenters, whom she referred to as “girls” of the television station.
Dabiri-Erewa tweeted: “I worked hard to be where I am today, and if women nowhere your age and achievements feel the only way to bring you down is spew nonsense, they will meet their Waterloo!
“Nduka Obaigbena had better call these girls @ARISEtv ruining the broadcast profession to order.”