By John Okeke
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distanced itself from the crisis between Minister of Communication and Digital Economy and Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) .
This was contained in statement signed by the Spokeperson , Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye.
“The attention of the Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada is said to have been drawn to a recent article in the Sunday Daily Trust Newspaper of 7th June, 2020, page 12, by one Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Head of Media and Public Relations Unit of NIDCOM, claiming that the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy shunned his invitation to a meeting with the Chairperson/ CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) to discuss the matter of office allocation to the Commission.”
The statement said, “it is on record that the Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in his capacity as supervisor of NIDCOM, invited the Chairperson/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa to brief him on the matter.
According to him, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami was never invited for a meeting to discuss the issue, and that it was the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy himself that rather volunteered to visit the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in his office, to discuss the matter which latter declined.
“The Honourable Minister of State was of the view that the matter does not warrant physical meeting at that point, as it could be resolved amicably between the parties concerned.
“The Ministry wishes to appeal to all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any further media statements as the matter is currently being addressed through official channels”, the statement added.
