Abike Dabiri-Erewa Is No Ethnic Bigot

In Nigeria’s ever-heated nationalist square, unfounded narratives tin instrumentality a beingness of their own. In caller times, determination has been an orchestrated, persistent effort to marque Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians successful Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), arsenic “anti-Igbo.” This narrative, recycled with enthusiasm connected societal media and amplified by definite outlets, collapses nether scrutiny. It relies neither connected grounds nor facts, but connected distortion, half-truths, and outright falsehoods.

The astir persistent allegation is that Dabiri Erewa erstwhile described Igbos arsenic monkeys. grounds of this has ever surfaced. All that exists is crude manipulation. In 2020, a idiosyncratic connected Twitter, present X, with the grip ‘Voice of Igbos’ hurled the insult ‘mother ape’ astatine her. Another user, ‘Akerele,’ replied with a sarcastic jab astir ‘gorillas’ and ‘monkeys’, successful discourse of the archetypal tweet. Dabiri-Erewa, alternatively than dignify the insult with words, responded with laughing emojis. That little enactment was aboriginal twisted by People’s Gazette into a header claiming she had herself called Igbos “monkeys and gorillas.” Even high-profile individuals similar Arise TV’s Rufai Oseni and Instagram influencer Tunde Ednut amplified the misrepresentation without interrogating its source. The leap is arsenic illogical arsenic it is malicious.

A Record of Inclusive Service

If we measurement distant from Twitter storms and analyse her nationalist record, the accusation rapidly unravels. Dabiri-Erewa has consistently acted successful defence of Nigerians crossed taste lines without immoderate bias. Consider a fewer examples:

Sudan Evacuation (2023): When civilian warfare erupted, NiDCOM coordinated with applicable ministries to evacuate implicit 2,700 Nigerians, astir of them students, from Sudan to safety. No portion was excluded. The evacuation was 1 of the astir extended successful Africa (Al Jazeera, May 2023).

Ghana Traders Crisis (2019): When Nigerian traders—many of them Igbos—were harassed and their shops shuttered successful Ghana, she confronted Ghanaian authorities and mobilized enactment (BBC News, Dec. 2019).

Xenophobia successful South Africa (2019): During convulsive attacks that targeted Nigerians, she championed evacuation and compensation for victims. CNN noted her Commission’s relation successful organizing returns and alleviation (CNN, Sept. 2019).

Ukraine War (2022): As warfare displaced thousands of students, she coordinated alleviation and harmless passage. The Guardian reported NiDCOM’s involution to guarantee Nigerians were not stranded astatine Europe’s borders (Guardian Nigeria, Feb. 2022).

Libya (2018): Under her watch, NiDCOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated the evacuation of thousands of Nigerians trapped successful detention centers, galore victims of trafficking and abuse. These operations gave families long-awaited reunions and rescued citizens from degrading conditions.

Central African Republic (2023): She oversaw the rescue of 12 stranded Nigerian miners caught successful struggle zones, ensuring their harmless instrumentality location contempt logistical and diplomatic hurdles.

Bosnia-Herzegovina (2019): When 2 Nigerian students from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) were detained successful a migrant campy aft being mistaken for amerciable immigrants, NiDCOM worked with European authorities to unafraid their merchandise and return, preventing a diplomatic incident.

Indonesia (2008–present): Dabiri-Erewa has been a accordant advocator for Nigerians facing superior punishment abroad. As portion of a parliamentary delegation led by Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe, she visited Indonesia to plead for 21 Nigerians connected decease row—20 of whom were from a azygous state. Years later, arsenic NiDCOM chair, she has continued appeals for clemency, underscoring that justness and mercy should not beryllium tribal matters.

As the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council erstwhile noted aft her involution successful Ghana: “We whitethorn disagree with authorities policies, but we cannot disregard the information that Hon. Dabiri Erewa has stood up for Igbos clip and clip again.”

To framework specified a grounds arsenic “anti-Igbo” is to mock some information and fairness. She has raised the illustration of diaspora engagement to levels unseen. The challenging enactment to physique Nigeria done the diaspora has nary taste bias.

Testimonies from the Diaspora

Those who enactment intimately successful concern with Dabiri-Erewa cognize her well. Professor Jude Osakwe, Continental Chairman of NIDO Africa, precocious warned against tribal scapegoating, commending her responsiveness: “Anytime we rescue victims, she was ever determination to assist.”

Similarly, Chibuzo Ubochi, Chairman of NIDO Europe, described her arsenic “Mama Diaspora”—a rubric earned, not gifted. As a arrogant Igbo leader, helium affirmed that her committedness transcends taste oregon spiritual boundaries.

Beyond i...