A group known as Coalition of Oduduwa Descendants has come under fierce attack for its unsubstantiated and spurious claims against the trend setting Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
The group, led by one Lekan Ekundayo is said to have addressed a press conference where they called for the restructuring or scrapping of NIDCOM, alleging that the agency was being used as a platform for criticizing the government.
Association of Nigerian Professionals in the Americas, reacting to what it considers the coalition’s “misguided, laughable, deeply flawed, unintelligible,” allegations, said that the group’s criticism of the Commission must be borne out of ‘miseducation,’ stressing that they are “crying wolf when there’s absolutely none.”
The Association, in their statement, issued by Engr. Gbenga Omoniya of Hagerstown, Maryland, US, said that they must, as one of Nigeria’s associations in the Diaspora, respond to the call for NiDCOM’s dissolution “not only because the Commission represents Nigerians the world over (our association and its members inclusive), but because of the unassailable fact that Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has been a “one-woman” battalion whose interest in the wellbeing of Nigerians in the Diaspora is beyond reproach.”
Insisting that “NiDCOM is a veritable vehicle for Nigeria’s economic growth and national unity,” the Omoniya led Association advised the Coalition to advance intelligent arguments next time if they truly desire the scrapping or restructuring of the Commission.
Another group, the Nigerian National Association in Scotland (NNA-S) also took the ‘Coalition’ to the cleaners, insisting that it is “an unpardonable height of political mischief for any Nigerian organization, home or abroad, to call for” the obliteration of the gains that have been recorded by NIDCOM since its creation about a year ago.
In a statement by Dr. Adisa Tomori, its President, NNA-S said, “as one of the Nigerian associations in the Diaspora whose interests are being served with the creation of this Commission, it is of utmost importance to lend our weight to NiDCOM, which has performed creditably well and beyond our imagination in helping to restore the dignity of Nigerians wherever they may be by speaking for those of us in distress either collectively or individually in their host countries under the leadership of Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.”
NNA-S further reminded the ‘coalition’ that Hon. Dabiri-Erewa has been fighting for the well being of Nigerians in Diaspora “as far back as 2005 as the Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs,” noting that “she declined to return to the House for a fourth term even when the ovation for her superlative accomplishments was loudest because she wanted to give the younger generation a chance. And she did. This act of political maturity and selflessness is very rare, if at all in existence, among Nigeria’s political class.
“It is also instructive that Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa is fondly called “Mama Diaspora” by Nigerians in the Diaspora, the top echelon of the Nigerian government including President Muhammadu Buhari himself not for the fun of it but because of the way she has taken, and continues to take to heart the wellbeing of Nigerians in the Diaspora.”
The NNA-S therefore wondered how the ‘coalition’ arrived at the call for the scrapping or restructuring of NIDCOM, especially given the pedestrian reasons they advanced for such action and the monumental and unprecedented accomplishments of Hon. Dabiri-Erewa so far.
Also reacting, Dr. Bamidele Adamolekun, from Washington, D.C., US referred to the coalition as “a faceless group of ethnic jingoists, tribal bigots, agent provocateurs and no less black sheep of the Yorùbá extraction.”
He wondered why they “would resort to cheap misplaced blackmail, unsubstantiated and spurious claims to go on a campaign of calumny against some persons and individuals who have hitherto displayed excessive patriotism towards their fatherland and have proven time and time again that they are worthy plenipotentiaries of their country – Nigeria.”
Insisting that the coalition was acting in bad faith, Dr. Adamolekun stressed that in their deposition, “they displayed nothing but everything antithetical to the values and virtues of ‘Omoluabi’ that the Yorùbá nation is noted for” and were only “trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.”
He raised critical questions puncturing the ‘spurious allegations’ of the coalition and urged the public to ignore their ranting as the group could be “acting for a paymaster” and went ahead to outline what NiDCOM is not and what its mandate is, pointing out that the agency has been living up to expectations of all stakeholders, mobilizing nationals outside the country for national development and attracting foreign direct investment through its activities.
