Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has stated that Nigerians are not criminals but instead they are hardworking people, noting specifically that himself and his followers are not criminals.
Murray-Bruce the senator representing Bayelsa East constituency was reacting to a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari by The Telegraph UK.
Buhari during an interview with The Telegraph said: “Some Nigerians claim is that life is too difficult back home, but they have also made it difficult for Europeans and Americans to accept them because of the number of Nigerians in prisons all over the world accused of drug trafficking or human trafficking,” he told The Telegraph.
“We have an image problem abroad and we are on our way to salvage that,” he said.“I don’t think Nigerians have anybody to blame. They can remain at home, where their services are required to rebuild the country.”
In response to Buhari’s statement, the self-styled Common Sense Advocate, said all Nigerians are not criminals, adding that, Buhari’s statement will “negatively affect your ability to get jobs and opportunity abroad”.
Writing on Twitter, Murray-Bruce also took a dig at Rotimi Amaechi saying: “Your own minister spent ₦80 million on a one day dinner, yet it is your citizens you accuse of being criminals #IAmANigerianNotACriminal”
It would be recalled that Amaechi, former governor of Rivers state was accused of spending N82million to host nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka.
Amaechi is now the minister of transportation.
It is recalled that during President Buhari’s first reign in the 80s he made similar disparaging statements about Nigerians which Sage Fela Kuti used to sing about, that “what type of government says my people are useless, my people are indiscipline…”
Here are his tweets:
But why will a President go abroad to say with his own mouth that his own people have a reputation for crime? pic.twitter.com/QLUeAqmA3f
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 6, 2016
President @MBuhari, Nigerians are not criminals. Nigerians are honest hardworking people. #IAmANigerianNotACriminal. Retweet if you agree.
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 6, 2016
If you agree you are a criminal, who am I to disagree? But certainly in the case of my followers and I, he is lying! pic.twitter.com/L6LyiBYVT9
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 6, 2016
Mr. President, you once believed we weren’t criminals. When did you change your mind? #IAmANigerianNotACriminal pic.twitter.com/6XBqtCaq2R
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 6, 2016
Bernie Madoff stole $50 Billion, the largest theft in the world. That doesn’t make all Americans thieves! Dont generalize because of a few!
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 6, 2016
Mr. Foreign investor, please come invest in my country. Oh and by the way, my people have a reputation for crime #IAmANigerianNotACriminal
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 6, 2016
Many dont know the import of that statement. It’ll negatively affect your ability to get jobs & opportunity abroad #IAmANigerianNotACriminal
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 6, 2016
Your own minister spent ₦80 million on a one day dinner, yet it is your citizens you accuse of being criminals #IAmANigerianNotACriminal
— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) February 6, 2016
