Nigerians on popular social media platform, Twitter have continued to react differently to a tweet by the chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, where she fired back at a Twitter user who referred to her as ‘mumu’, a Nigerian slang used to describe a person who acts daft.
The Twitter user, @sensegiver1, had earlier taken to the comment section of a post by the NiDCOM boss on the recent happenings regarding Nigerian students at GD Goenka University, in India to call her out over the ill-treatment meted out to Nigerians in Indonesia.
The Twitter user further berated the NiDCOM boss for being part of the present administration which he described as a ‘failure’
“She should go to Indonesia and see how Nigerians are treated. Mumu woman supporting a failed government. She’s equally part of the failure. Eye service!” he tweeted.
This tweet seems not to have gone down well with Dabiri who fired back at the individual and called him ‘ode’ which is another Nigerian slang used to describe a fool.
“Ode! You go to Indonesia, carry drugs, do cultism and come begging to be rescued from death sentence. Thank God for @ndlea_nigeria now saving people like you from death row”
The NIDCOM boss’s response to the troll has however continued to generate mixed reactions from all and sundry on Twitter. While some berated her for using such language, saying a diplomat like her shouldn’t have responded in that manner others are full of praise for the NIDCOM boss.
A former Minister of Education in Nigeria, Oby Ezekwesili who retweeted the post described it as “messy” and asked her to clean it up. “Dear Abike @abikedabiri , What is this? 🤦🏾♀️. Kai. This is messy. Please clean it up. Quickly. Please.✍🏾”
Responding to the Former minister of education, Abike Dabiri said she is not the type of public holder that succumbs to online bullying and won’t clean up the post. She added that, if it was okay for the guy to refer to her as “mumu”, there should not be a problem if she returned the insult.
“I’m done on this. But out of respect for you, I will ask, Clean what up? It’s okay for some untrained, uncouth guy to refer to me as “ mumu”, and I can’t call him “ode” . I’m not a public official that cows to bullying pls. She responded.
Also calling her out, another Twitter user @FS_ Yusuf tweeted “‘Ode’ isn’t the issue here. Look at the stereotyping you dropped there. As a diplomat, you are the last person to do such a thing. Please.”
The NIDCOM boss again responded and wrote: “Read with your two eyes open. And with a bit of sense . Don’t be too ‘obediently’ biased and beclouded. Were you with us when we went up and down Indonesia begging them not to kill our people sentenced to death for drugs?”
Another user @LexNefo who also berated Dabiri wrote, “This is very unprofessional for an office holder to use such words. Why are your hearts so bitter?”
“To imagine that a public servant being paid with taxpayers’ money, can be uncouth is the most unfortunate thing for this country. @abikedabiri you are a disgrace to this nation.” @DaraOchiagha tweeted.
Supporting the NIDCOM boss clap back @ BayoAdedosu wrote, “They think they have the monopoly to attack people saying after all you are government official…anyone that talks anyhow will receive full measure of his own pill. They commit crimes in another man’s country expecting to be rescued by the same country they rubbish.”
“But what the problems with her reply? I have read it many times and no one is talking about the insult to her personality! Pls, ma don’t clean anything up! I beg you,” @Daniamiuamr5 opined.
Another user @ Adebambo_A tweeted “You guys are freaking weird, For months, years that @abikedabiri has been tolerating you guys insults and name calling but that one time she had to put someone in his place you guys now know she is a public servant. But you fools want to insult and call it freedom of speech.”