He said various agitators who get financial support from abroad was as a result of the lack of the commission’s board, stating that if the commission was in place with proper coordination of the Diaspora Nigerians, it would have been pretty difficult channeling resources from abroad to groups that were hell-bent on disintegrating the nation.
Hon. Gbandi accused some of government officials at the state and federal levels as well as politicians of conniving with some Nigerians abroad in “fuelling Nigeria”s disintegration from the Diaspora.”
In a statement he personally signed and sent to DAILY POST on Saturday in Abuja, Gbandi, who is the current deputy Chairman of African Democratic Congress, ADC, faulted the APC-led administration and their failure to properly constitute NIDCOM Board.
He called does the constitution of NIDCOM board without delay in order to bridge gaps that gave rise to agitators being funded from abroad.
According to him, he had previously cautioned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government on the need to expeditiously constitute the NIDCOM’s board to enable Nigeria government monitor transactions of diaspora citizens, adding that he pointed gave dangers, if such didn’t happen.
“I recalled writing several such letters to the Federal government on the urgent need to constitute NIDCOM’S Board as stipulated by the Act, with full Diaspora representation via NIDO Worldwide.
“One of such appeals was written on the July 27, 2020, to Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, who was before then the Chairman of Senate Committee on Diaspora, Non Governmental Organizations(NGOs).
“I told him that the global NIDO was a rallying point for most Nigerians in Diaspora who still believe in the country and the power of the Diaspora to effect positive homeland development initiatives and needed reforms.”
Gbandi also cautioned that NIDO was a buffer zone to Nigerians in Diaspora far from organizing themselves along ethnic lines which will result in ethnic allegiances to the detriment of the country.
He further appealed to Nigeria government to stop politicisation of NIDO saying that the organization was being dragged along ethnic lines which portends danger for the country, if nothing was done to salvage it.
Gbandi called called on lawmaker to intervene by looking at his appeal for constitution of the board with NIDO fully represented on the board, which he maintained was in the Interest of the nation.
“A similar appeal was also made to the Chairperson, House Committee on Diaspora, that the sad politicization of NIDO had now given rise to strong ethnic and regional groupings.
“Recall that NIDO Europe sought legal opinion from Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana on the representation of NIDO in NIDCOM’s board, cumulating in a letter written to the President and Secretary to the Federal Government, supporting NIDO Europe’s position”, he concluded.
