The Chairman of the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission and former lawmaker, Abike Dabiri-Arewa, has urged Nigerians in China to always demand for their rights.
She made this comment, while reacting to alleged maltreatment of Nigerians and Africans in China, noting that it seems the Chinese no longer want Africans in their country.
In a town hall meeting with she held with Nigerians in the United States, US, via zoom, over the weekend, Dabiri-Erewa said despite having many illegal Chinese migrants in Nigeria, none of them has been exposed to maltreatment.
While reacting to a question on what the Nigerian Government was doing to address the discrimination and maltreatment of Nigerians in China, she said, “The issue of China has been recurring and I have been to the Chinese Embassy a couple of times, putting into consideration what has been happening to Nigerians in China.
“I will be very realistic with the issue of Africans in China… what I am seeing is that they don’t want Africans in China. Some businessmen are stranded there but when you want to your home, they don’t allow you. In China, if you don’t have a residence, you can’t get a permit.”
Dabiri-Erewa noted that talks were ongoing to address the maltreatment.
She urged Nigerians to obey the laws of the Chinese Government and try to stay out of trouble.
She added, “It is still tough for Nigerians in China. It (maltreatment) is still going on and it has to be dealt with. Right now, there is a little bit of sanity but we don’t know how long it will last but there has to be a permanent solution to the issue of blacks being maltreated in China.
“We need to build a world of peace and love. There has to be reciprocity: Respect me and I respect you, treat me well and I treat you well. They should demand their right and obey their laws too but the laws should not be discriminatory.”
