By Miriam Humbe, Abuja
As other nations continue to evacuate their citizens in the face of the crisis in Sudan, a Twitter user has told stranded Nigerians in that country to be grateful for President Muhammadu Buhari’s benevolence in making arrangements for their safe return.
The Twitter user who goes by the name, Zarah Musa a
Fluid Mechanics – Hydroinformatics, Data scientist said that it was a privilege rather than a right for the Nigerian government to embark on the evacuation of the citizens in that country.
While the federal government intensified efforts to airlift the nation’s students and other citizens in that country, Zarah Musa reminded them that it was not a Constitutional right, neither did their parents pay for it.
@zarahmusa wrote: “Under Buhari regime Nigerians take Nigeria’s generosity for granted. “No matter your long speeches and grandiosity, just know this : being evacuated from anywhere back to Nigeria is NOT A RIGHT. “No, neither you nor your parents paid for that. “It does not exist in the Nigerian constitution as one of your rights. “Be grateful if Nigeria does it for you.”
Reactions trailed the post which generated 950 likes, 611.5k views, 340 retweets, 969 quotes and 1,495 comments as at press time.
Some of the reactions:
@iyaboawokoya tweeted: “I don’t know when Nigerians became this entitled? I fear NIDCOM and Bubu may have set a precedent that the next Govt may need to tweak a bit.”
@ovoFlamminghot3 tweeted: “Like Nigeria started evacuating its citizens from war zones today. Every citizen deserves the protection of their government unless one of the duties of government is no longer to protect and to provide.”
This respondent went further to say, the simple justification was that, its the duty of government to protect citizens from violence.
Zarah responded to @iyaboawokoya: “I really hope the next government can. There needs to be checks and balances and this incessant cowing to ungrateful elements should not be continued. Other countries have set a precedent after all. You pay to be evacuated or you sign a bond.”
Also as at press time, the Nigerian Air Force plane, NAF C 130 landed in Aswan Airport awaiting the airlifting.
A Twitter post showing the Crew and Director General of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa saying: “We will not leave without our students”.
