By Abiola Olawale
The chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Wednesday revealed that Kemi Badenoch who was recently elected leader of the United Kingdom’s (UK) Conservative Party, has failed to acknowledge all messages sent to her by the NIDCOM.
Dabiri-Erewa who spoke with Channels Television said NIDCOM reached out to Badenoch on several occasions but are yet to get a response from the Nigerian-British politician.
The Chairman of NIDCOM also accused Badenoch of showing no interest in identifying with her Nigerian roots.
She said: “We have reached out to her once or twice without any response. So, we don’t force people to accept to be Nigerian.
“If you appreciate the Nigerianness in you and you want to work with us, we are open to everybody. But we cannot force you to appreciate the Nigerianness in you. You remember Miss Universe Nigeria in South Africa.
“Until she got into a little problem with South Africa, she identified with Nigeria, came back, and we hosted her. As long as that blood is in you, you are a Nigerian.
“So, it depends on Kemi to decide whether she appreciates the Nigerianess in her. Whether she wants to work with Nigeria, but we cannot force anybody.”
The New Diplomat reports that this comes after Badenoch was elected as the leader of the UK’s Conservative Party on November 2.
She became the first black person to lead any major party in the United Kingdom.
Badenoch was born in the UK to Nigerian parents in January 1980. After her birth, she returned to Nigeria, where she grew up. Badenoch went back to the UK at the age of 16.
