SAN FRANCISCO, June 11, (THEWILL) – The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has responded to former Indian Chief Minister, Ravi Naik’s call for Nigerians to be banned, describing the statement as “condescending and unacceptable”.
Naik was earlier reported by The Times of India to have asked his country’s central government to impose a ban on Nigerians, who he described as “negroes”.
Accusing them of causing trouble “everywhere,” he reportedly said at a press conference, “even the Aam Aami Party leaders had a fight with Nigerians in Bengaluru… The Government of India should ban Nigerians from entering India”.
“They create problems everywhere… We do not want Nigerian tourists,” he said, accusing some Nigerians in Goa, a state in the Asian country, of masquerading as students.
But in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, on Saturday, Dabiri-Erewa said the call by Naik for a ban by the Central Government of India on Nigerians from entering the country was rather unfortunate.
Acknowledging that the statement of Naik was personal to him and does not reflect the position of Indian government, Dabiri-Erewa stated that such comment was demeaning and condemnable of a former high ranking government official.
“As Nigerians, we respect humanity and will not descend so low to use derogatory words even for Indians in Nigeria who are involved in illegal activities. Rather, we will allow the law to take its course,” she said.
The presidential aide, however, reiterated her calls on Nigerians in the Diaspora to be law abiding as any Nigerian found guilty of breaking the laws of any land will have to face the consequences.
She stressed that Nigeria will not tolerate any condescending comments on her nationals as respect begets respect.
