From Callistus Ezelinwu, Ghana
What exactly is the definition of hate speech? A conversation between two Twitter users? A retweet with emojis? Or the conscious, calculated act of inciting violence against a people through sustained rhetoric and propaganda? Elsie Bernadette Onubogu’s article is in itself full of hate speech .That is not analysis. That is mischief.
Elsie accuses Abike Dabiri Erewa of betraying her duty. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is those who elevate the toxic rantings of the Voice of Igbo Twitter handle ( the individual behind that handle will soon be exposed )that should consider seeing a shrink. To brand a reaction to a provocative tweet as “dereliction of duty” is not only laughable but a dangerous distortion of what duty really means. No duty was betrayed. If anything, duty has been carried out with diligence and distinction.
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As Joseph Edgar observed in his piece Abike Dabiri in the Eye of the Storm, the outrage is nothing but a storm in a teacup. He narrates how Abike herself explained that she merely responded with a smiley to a tweet describing her as “ mother ape “only for propagandists to twist it into an ethnic slur. Edgar dismissed the mob as “N100 digital warriors” whose stock-in-trade is venom and distortion. He is right. Taking them seriously is like arguing with a madman in public. You end up looking like the fool.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation has also spoken with clarity. Dr Chibuzor Ugochi Chairman of NIDO Europe, stated that “Abike Dabiri Erewa has been a consistent defender of Nigerians abroad. Years of service and intervention cannot be erased by a mischievous misinterpretation of a social media post.” Dr Jude Osakee Chair of NIDO Africa, echoed the same sentiment when he said “We work closely with NiDCOM under Abike Dabiri Erewa and we can testify that her passion is to unify and project Nigerians positively. She does not promote hate.” These are not social media hecklers. These are leaders of Nigerians in the Diaspora who engage with NiDCOM directly. Their words expose the emptiness of Elsie’s claims.
Elsie leans on Bonhoeffer and a UN adviser on genocide prevention to buttress her position. But quotes without context are empty. To equate a laughing emoji by someone who was called different names by an anonymous person who hides under the name “ Voice if Igbo “with a call to genocide is hyperbolic at best and dishonest at worst. Hate speech is real. It is serious. But trivialising it in this manner diminishes the very real dangers of hate speech.
And what of duty? NiDCOM under Abike Dabiri Erewa has consistently defended Nigerians abroad, projected the country positively, and opened channels for Diaspora investment. These are facts on record. Reducing years of service to an emoji scandal is not only unfair, it is insulting to Nigerians whose lives have been touched by her interventions.
The truth is simple. Abike Dabiri Erewa remains a dedicated public servant with a visible track record. Elsie’s article is not about accountability. It is about character assassination dressed up in fine language. The administration must resist such weaponised outrage. Public servants should be judged by their service, not by the contrived storms of digital mobs.
Abike Dabiri Erewa’s grace and class cannot be dragged into the gutter. The noise will pass. Service will endure.
The post Grace in duty: Why Abike Dabiri-Erewa stands tall appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
