The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA) has expressed outrage at what it called “the vulgar, insensitive and racist language” about Africans and other immigrants allegedly made by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The group, in a statement by Mr Obed Monago, Chairman, NIDO Americas Board of Trustees and Mrs Patience Key, Chairman, NIDO USA Board of Directors, strongly condemned the statement allegedly made by the U.S. president.
The organisation stated that the preference of some immigrants because of the colour of their skin smacked of bigotry.
It also reminded the U.S. leader that in a country built with the laborious contributions of immigrants, aligning propriety and preference to Norway was clearly racist.
NIDOA said Nigerian immigrants were among the most educated, and contributed immensely to the greatness of the United States.
“Nigerians are proud to contribute to the betterment of the United States and will continue to do so.
“It is with enormous pain and outrage, that NIDOA condemns the deplorable, disgusting use of vulgarity to describe a broad set of people who, for the most part, have and continue to add value to the United States.
“We are not going to hold our breath for an apology, which would be proper for this insult on a well-meaning group of people.
“It is unfortunate that we have to voice our disdain and disgust, but we are left, for now, with no other option than this painful reaction.
“We wish the U.S. the very best in the days ahead. The United States needs to stay true to the founding of its democracy and the reason it should be a ‘light upon the hill’ for the world,” it said.
NIDOA stressed that such statement was beneath the dignity of the President of a country marked by the Statue of Liberty, honouring the Preamble to the Constitution and striving to attain a more perfect union.
“We painfully note the statement of Mr Trump that Nigerians will not go back to their ‘huts’ once they see the U.S. and ‘Haitians with AIDS;’ just to name a few,” the Nigerian organisation alleged.
It also noted what it said were Trump’s utterances over the years, including the ‘birtherism’ against former President Barack Obama and his disparaging announcement when he began his quest for the Presidency.
“We note the many immigrants who, as others, have bled and died for the U.S., an example being Emmanuel Mensah, who sacrificed himself for others just a few days ago in New York.
“This racist remark in no way, helps make America great. It does more to damage the cooperative and collaborative manner that other countries engage to help the U.S. in these trying times.
“In a democracy, as against a dictatorship, the checks on the system should rise to denounce, as the rest of the world has, the bigoted utterings from the Oval Office.
“The President should be the responsible leader of the free world, but the uninformed and bigoted statement of the President has caused the majority of the American people pain in more ways than one.”
NIDOA encouraged African countries, Haiti and others to be proud of their nationalities and stay true to their identities. (NAN)