Tobias Sylvester
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has declared that he won’t be intimidated by the threat of a visa ban by the British Government.
He was reacting to a statement by the British deputy high commissioner to Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, who described some of his comments during the 2023 general election as “inciteful”.
Jones had accused Fani-Kayode of making inciting comments which triggered violence against Igbo people during the March 18 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Nigeria.
The British envoy revealed that 10 Nigerians including the former minister who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were on the country’s visa ban watchlist.
Llewellyn-Jones said, “Yes, let’s be specific; there were some people, like Femi Fani-Kayode, what is he saying and why is he saying it? I don’t understand.
“It is wrong from my perspective that he will speak on behalf of a party and that party does not distance itself from him and say, ‘stop doing that. It is wrong to say that’.
“We have a list, we are working through our list but we don’t publish those names. I know people say we should, but we have laws, and the law prevents us from doing that. At the moment, the list is between five and 10 and growing,” he added.
Reacting on his Twitter page, Fani Kayode said “these are my personal views and I am constrained to express them” adding that he would not take lessons on what to say or how to speak” from the UK envoy.
The ex-minister said he would not be intimidated by a visa ban threat, stressing that he was not one of those Nigerians that bows, shakes, shivers and trembles before the British or indeed any other foreigner”.
He wrote, “These are my personal views and I am constrained to express them given the fact that one @benllewellynjo1, a misguided, mischievous and clearly unlettered Englander who does not know his place, threw away all caution and mentioned my name in his inglorious commentary.
“I would advise this Ben, who I am told is the Deputy High Commissioner of the UK to Nigeria, to keep his dirty nose out of our internal affairs.
“Nigeria stopped being a British colony 63 years ago and we need no lessons from him on how to run our affairs or conduct our politics.
“I know that his preferred candidate did not win the presidential election but that does not mean he should cross the line and take liberties with us here. I wonder who the hell he thinks he is?
“I am not one of those Nigerians that bows, shakes, shivers and trembles before the British or indeed any other foreigner.
“And unlike most I do not need any validation or endorsement from him or his ilk and neither can I be intimidated by his veiled threat of a visa ban. Frankly I could not care less.
“I would however take this opportunity to assure him that regardless of his views and desire to compel us to accept their godless so-called “humanist” and “libertarian” values and introduce evil practices and policies such as same-sex marriage in our country this will never be the case.
“My aversion for sod*mites remains as constant as the northern star and whether he likes it or not we will never allow a sod*mite to be our President.
“Neither will we accept lessons in decency, etiquette, what to say or how to speak from a fading British civil servant and a man that represents a nation that has committed more atrocities than perhaps any other in the history of humanity.
“I advise this little Englander to respect himself and remain a silent observer when it comes to the politics of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As a nation we are not a poodle of the British and we came of age 63 years ago.
“He should be more concerned about the shrinking fortunes of a once “Great Britain” and the systemic racism, inherent injustice and insufferable arrogance that is entrenched in the British establishment and society than in the intra party politics of Nigeria.
“He should also be more concerned with the efforts of his nation to bring us one step closer to WW3 given the unfolding events in Ukraine.”
These are my personal views and I am constrained to express them given the fact that one @benllewellynjo1, a misguided, mischievous and clearly unlettered Englander who does not know his place, threw away all caution and mentioned my name in his inglorious commentary.
I would…
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) March 26, 2023
Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has denied reports that its chairman, Council of Elders, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu referred to Yoruba people as political rascals.
