Nigerians in the diaspora, under the aegis of the Nigeria Diaspora Organisation, have protested what they considered “uncharitable and derogatory comments” made on the floor of the National Assembly by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, against diaspora Nigerians.
In a protest letter addressed to the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, NIDO referred to a video clip which it said had gone viral on the social media in which the Deputy Speaker, while standing in for the Speaker during a plenary, made disparaging statements against Nigerians in the diaspora.
It said: “The whole diaspora community is still in total shock that this particular video could emanate from the Green Chamber where the Rt. Honourable Speaker presides. We all are aware that the Rt. Honourable Speaker himself is a returnee diasporas, and that issues concerning the diaspora are always close to his heart.
“However, this unfortunate statement from the deputy speaker has helped to cast doubt in the minds of the diaspora community as to the genuineness of the Federal Government’s intentions towards its diaspora.”
Such statements, NIDO said, are clearly at variance with what Nigerians in Diaspora are being made to understand and believe by the Federal Government.
It said Nigerians in the diaspora are still in shock and total disbelief that everything that has been done and achieved in the last 20 years on diaspora engagement is now being rubbished and put to nullity by the utterances of Wase.
The protest letter read in part: “Rt. Honourable Speaker, the Nigerians in Diaspora have been extremely patient with the broken promises of both the government and the legislators, where the rights of Nigerians in diaspora to vote have been treated with levity. Even, at that, the Nigerians in diaspora community has never faltered in remitting millions of foreign currency to Nigeria and bringing in potential investors.
“In his frantic effort to shut down a petition being presented by one Hon. Mark Gilbah at the instance of ‘Mutual Unions of Tiv in America’, a social organization of Nigerian Tiv ethnic group living in USA, Hon. Ahmed Wase openly displayed total ignorance of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that allows for dual citizenship, with rights and privileges of the Diaspora to call to the attention of the Federal Government on issues of common concerns.
“Instead of availing himself the opportunity to listen, Hon. Wase decided to pick on the whole Nigerians in Diaspora for attack and questioned their citizenship rights and their rights to petition the National Assembly on issues of mutual interests to them. In the video clip, he castigated the Nigerians in Diaspora as intruders and persons of no locus standi on issues bordering on Nigeria socio-economic wellbeing. He showed without self-restrain, his hatred and disdain for the Nigerians in Diaspora.
“This is an affront to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It vividly showed in his body language, coupled with the list of unguarded utterances he invoked erroneously to justify why the Nigerians in Diaspora cannot protest to their government over any injustice and lack of good governance.
“In essence, Hon. Ahmed Wase is telling us, out of his abundant ignorance, to ‘continue to leave in their comfort zones abroad and allow Nigerians to face their fate in Nigeria’. What a statement! Are Nigerians in Diaspora merely seen as “cash cows” to help plug the hole in the Federal Government efforts to improve its GDP?
“Are Nigerians in Diaspora only useful to help lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty through home remittances, something which in the first place should have been the duty of the Federal Government through a comprehensive social development package?
“We are, therefore, wondering if Hon Ahmed Idris Wase’s view and position are the same as those of other members of the NASS. In that case, the $23 billion USD yearly remittances (according to the World Bank records), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), medical missions, community development programs and professional skills transfer, amongst others, that Nigerians in Diaspora routinely brings into the economy of Nigeria should also be seen as unwelcoming distractions and undesirable!”
It said Nigerians in Diaspora worldwide (Nigerians in Europe, Americas, Asia, Oceania, Middle-East and Africa) are totally appalled by these statements of the Deputy Speaker.
It also expressed its disappointment that none of the members at the plenary session on that fateful day spoke up to educate Wase that it is the fundamental right of the Nigerians in Diaspora to intervene in respect of their kinsmen back home.
NIDO, therefore, demanded a full retraction of the statement by the Deputy Speaker; an unconditional public apology from Wase to the Nigerians in Diaspora community; and that Hon. Mark Gilbah be allowed to present the motion for and on behalf of Mutual Unions of Tiv in America as a concerned group of Nigerians in Diaspora.
Other demands include: that the Speaker convenes an urgent virtual meeting with the Nigerians in Diaspora community to address this issue and to reassure them of his full support.
NIDO added: “Rt. Honourable Speaker, we would like to state that falling short of the above within 14 days upon the receipt of this letter, we might be compelled to take further actions, which might include but not limited to calling out all Nigerians in Diaspora to withhold further home remittances with immediate effect.”
