A hashtag- #IAmANigerianNotACriminal, trended on Twitter yesterday
evening as a result of the comments of President Muhammadu Buhari in a
recent interview with the Telegraph UK.
According to reports, the president was quoted to have advised
Nigerians against seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, noting that the
country’s reputation for criminality 'has made it hard for them to be
accepted abroad.'
Buhari said the motivating factor behind the decision of some
Nigerians to join the migrant exodus to Europe, were purely economical,
and not necessarily because of the dangers associated with remaining in
Nigeria.
The report quotes the President as saying: "Some Nigerians
claim is that life is too difficult back home, but they have also made
it difficult for Europeans and Americans to accept them because of the
number of Nigerians in prisons all over the world accused of drug
trafficking or human trafficking.
I don’t think Nigerians have anybody to blame. They can remain
at home, where their services are required to rebuild the country. We
have an image problem abroad and we are on our way to salvage that."
Just as we all expected, this statement generated a lot of
criticism on social media, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, joined the critics
and lashed out at the President over the generalizing and labelling of
Nigerians as being involved in crime.
While stating on his Twitter page that he is not a criminal, the
Senator representing Bayelsa East constituency, said Nigerians are
hardworking, honest people. Below are all his replies to Buhari.
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