Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the C.E.O of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, on Sunday, went at each other on Twitter. The exchange of words was as a result of the forced eviction of NIDCOM staff be from their Abuja Office.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa tweeted her concern about the issue in a series of tweets accusing the Minister of disrespect to women, to which Pantami replied and called the NIDCOM C.E.O a liar
Abike Dabiri-Erewa posted a video on her Twitter accusing the Minister of ordering armed persons to forcefully chase away her workers from office. She said “In one year, we don’t even have an office. The office we got, given to us by the NCC, we were actually driven away by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr. Isa Pantami. Within two days, he drove us out with guns and what happened? The place was given to us by NCC.
“You know we all help each other, NCC as an agency of government said there’s a place where you can settle in. And just as we did, I was in Ethiopia when I got a call. I thought it was a joke. I came back from Ethiopia on Thursday, by Friday when I went to the office, guns, armed men had taken the place over. I thought it was a joke; but here’s the thing, I’m a government worker, so is he. It’s government business. Do I go on the street and start fighting? No. So, I said I would take the moral higher ground
“I have complained officially, but will let it be. He wants the place, let him take it. And that place is still there, a whole floor is still vacant. As I speak with you all, our items are locked up. I don’t have a computer, I don’t have printers, everything has been locked up.”
The Minister, however, tweeted a reply to her calling the NIDCOM boss a liar.
“This is a fat lie from her. The owner of the building @NgComCommission has faulted her lies on the social media platforms. The Minister has never given that directive to any gunman. We need to be very objective in reporting. I have never sent any gunmen there, and I have no one” his tweet read.
In a reply to the Minister’s tweet, Dabiri-Erewa then accused him of disrespect to women.
“An Islamic scholar should not lie. Hon. Minister (PhD), you did that to me because I am a woman. Your disrespect for women is legendary. Left the ugly incident behind me since February. But please, release all our office equipment. Public office is transient”
She then proceeded to post a video of the NIDCOM workers that were stranded and being addressed to stay calm.
She also noted that some of the effects in the NIDCOM office have been carted away from their office.
