Don’t judge Nigerians abroad based on actions of few bad eggs, Dabiri-Erewa warns

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Chairman /Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said that the recent arrest of some Nigerians in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates for fraud, particularly Ramoni Igbalode, popularly known as Hushpuppi, should not be a yardstick in any way to judge and stereotype Nigerians who are excelling globally.
Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement issued by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit, pointed out that Nigerians all over the world are known to be hardworking, diligent and determined and succeeding tremendously in their chosen careers.
The Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM maintained that Nigerians, unarguably, are the most educated immigrants in the United States and are hardworking, committed, determined and very successful in their careers.
According to her, ‘”Nigerians all over the world are known to be hardworking, diligent and determined and succeeding tremendously in their chosen careers wherever they are”.
Noting that bad news travel fast, the statement made reference to a Nigerian, Mr Ikenna Nweke, who was appreciated and commended by the Japanese government and the Police for returning a lost wallet with large sums of money and a Credit Card.
adding, “Yet , it did not make headlines.
Continuing, Dabiri-Erewa said,”Also, while the news of Hushpuppi was trending , a Nigerian in Russia Dr Chidubem Obi graduated with a 5.0 GPA cleaning all established records in the University.
“Nigerians unarguably are the most educated immigrants in the United States and are hardworking, committed, determined and very successful in their career and professions”,
While commending the FBI and the EFCC for tracking and tracing fraudsters, she noted that the law must be allowed to take its cause.
The NIDCOM boss added , “let us focus more on the positive things Nigerians in the Diaspora are doing than the few negative narratives that purportedly give Nigeria a bad image.
“Some Nigerians are working three to four jobs per day , yet acts such as those arrested for fraud are used to judge and stereotype them”
She urged the youths to channel their energies to the path of honesty and integrity and uphold high moral values, stressing that one bad apple cannot spoil the whole bunch.