The federal government on Tuesday alleged that some Nigerians in the diaspora are financiers of separatist groups in the country.
The minister of information and culture, Mr. Mr. Lai Mohammed, made allegation on in Abuja while meeting with the members of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), UK Chapter as part of the activities marking the initiative tagged ‘A Week in and For Nigeria’.
He criticised members of the Diaspora for identifying with secessionist groups campaigning around.
He also expressed angst and disappointment against some members of the Diaspora for relying on platforms that peddle fake news and misinformation about the country.
“It is in recognition of the relevance of Nigerians in Diaspora that the secessionist groups that are campaigning around the world for their causes have identified and are effectively using some of them (Nigerians in Diaspora) to propagate their fake narratives about the country, in addition to relying on their financial contributions to fund their nefarious activities. This is disheartening.
“Instead of contributing their own quota to these efforts, all you hear from a section of Nigerians in Diaspora and their allies back home are fake narratives and untrue allegations of religious persecution, political marginalisation, human rights abuses, etc. These are baseless and false.
“As an organised and well connected group, I implore NIDO to leverage its contacts in government circles, parliamentary groups and global think tanks in world capitals to help change the narrative and sweep the carpet off the feet of secessionist groups, insurgents and anarchists who are bent on pushing false narratives to portray Nigeria in bad light.
“I have no doubt that you will take this call seriously and do everything in your power to change the narrative for the better,” Mohammed said.
He emphasised that the federal government was currently re-engineering and ramping up its diplomatic efforts to counter and reverse the narrative, in addition to countering pervasive anti-government propaganda.
Mohammed stressed that the federal government recognises Nigerians in Diaspora as critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project, which informed the creation of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) which coordinates and provides organised system of collaborations of Nigerians in Diaspora.
He also stated that whenever the President Muhammadu Buhari travelled outside the country, he made it a point of duty to regularly engage with Nigerians in his host country.
He also cited the unavoidable division among Nigerians in the diaspora in some countries as a factor that hampers such engagements.
