A REJOINDER ON ; A TRADE OF SHAME, OUR EMBASSIES - DASH COLLECTORS

Uchendu Precious Onuoha (Special correspondent Spain)

A REJOINDER ON: A TRADE OF SHAME, OUR EMBASSIES - DASH COLLECTORS

SPANISH CITIZEN BLACKMAILING NIGERIA’S GOVERNMENT

According to the law of nations; each nation is a mistress of her own actions, when they do not affect the perfect right of others. Therefore, it is quite wrong for a Spanish citizen or a Spanish of Nigerian extract, for any reason to blackmail or insult the Nigerian Embassy, and the Nigerian government through misleading, provocative, and ridiculous publications aimed at inciting Nigerians to chaos, stirring up ethnic strife, tarnishing the image of Nigeria, and bringing the good works of the Nigerian Ambassador to disrepute. And above all, putting Spain on a diplomatic collision course with Nigeria.

The recent publication in- The Sun newspaper literary review August 4, 2015 titled, “A Trade of Shame-Our Embassies, Dash Collectors” by a Spanish lady, Helen Mukoro shows how some Nigerian journalists fall short of verifying facts before putting pen to paper. Also how unpatriotic they could be to join hands with foreigners to smear the image of Nigeria their own country. It does not lay solely on the armed forces to defend Nigeria from internal and external incursions, aggressions to the territorial integrity of Nigeria. But to every patriotic Nigerian, we have a duty to defend our country from the bite of external tsetse flies and anopheles mosquitoes.

If any man should be proud or boast of his nationality, I should boast more. I am a Nigerian. A journalist, a watchdog, called, anointed and ordained under the order of Melchizedek to keep watch over my people, and in my watch I cannot remain passive when a citizen of another country insults and blackmail the image of Nigeria for any reason, just because her selfish and fraudulent decoys were not granted by the most transformed and best Nigerian mission in the world today.

The publication, “A Trade Of Shame -Our Embassies, Dash Collectors,” should rather be the reverse, Shame To a Spanish Confucionist –Fraudster, Whose Hopes Were Dashed. Helen Mukoro the author, by implication of her actions is rather a shame, disgrace and a disappointment to Spain. And to some disgruntled non well -meaning Nigerians who are in the background fanning up her embers as a champion of their cause. In as much as one does not condone crime and corruption, it is not peculiar to Nigeria but a societal problem which Spain also is enmeshed. I live in Spain, together with other well-meaning Nigerians here long ago to tell the history of the Nigerian embassy. And not Helen, who willingly threw away Nigerian nationality. Her action, publishing against the Nigerian embassy Spain is against the Spanish FAG law which prohibits their citizens to write articles against their government in the social media and other mediums. What she could not do in Spain she feels that Nigeria is a dumping ground for anyone to vomit what she likes, and go free. Her recent newspaper publications as gunning for the president of Spain is only media hype that ends in the pages of newspapers. And it is a scam and scheme designed to attract attention and intended for use to deceive and defraud unsuspecting Nigerians. I am not against her ambition to be president of Spain if she can as a Spanish citizen but when it is used as a ploy to deceive and exploit Nigerians I will not support.

To avoid believing falsehoods, deceptions and falling prey to Helen’s fraudulent schemes, it’s important Nigerians in Spain and beyond know the truth about her. And for those who may be deceived to think that she is acting for the interest of Nigerians, in Spain, no its far from the truth, it’s not for her love for Nigeria at all, because if you love Nigeria, you will not renounce it for another country, but because her selfish demands and intent to defraud the Nigerian embassy in Spain were not granted she resorted to a war of vendetta against the embassy.

Owing to her outrage through the social media on May 3, 2015 insulting and blackmailing the governments of Nigeria, investigations were made to know who she is and the reason behind her actions. From information gathered, Helen Mukoro who has the knack for media publicity at all cost, willingly renounced her Nigerian nationality for Spain. Before now, she has thrived in using her familiarity with Nigeria and the Nigerian embassy in Spain to organize dubious award seminars and shady foreign investment deals that ended up exploiting and defrauding her victims, including top media practitioners, highly placed individuals, and wives of some top Nigerian legislators. She has had a field’s day in her nefarious activities in the past before the coming of the recently recalled ambassador who changed the scenario and said No, it can’t continue like that.

From a reliable source, this is the declaration Helen made on renunciation of her Nigerian nationality.

RENUNCIATION OF NIGERIAN CITIZENSHIP

Helen Mukoro Idisi, a native of Nigeria who became a naturalized Spanish citizen

in September 16, 2013 (dual citizenship in Spain is not allowed by law to

Nigerian nationals. I renounced my Nigerian Citizenship at the Spanish Civil

Registry in Denia, Alicante, December 16, 2013). ..

I have since surrendered my Nigerian passport and notified the Nigerian

Embassy in person … that I have renounced my Nigerian

citizenship… Just in case you did not keep records of my passport, attached copy

I have lived continuously in Spain since October 1992. This letter sent to your

… is to notify again the Nigerian Embassy by

letter of today, June 19, 2015, that I have renounced my Nigerian citizenship and

ask you destroy copy of my Nigerian passport …

On March 11, 2014, I was issued a Spanish passport by the Spanish government.

The passport … is valid to March 11, 2024. I have no intent to

reacquire a Nigerian passport.

I intend to reside permanently in Spain. My fifteen year old son, Richard Cabo

Mukoro, was born in Spain to a Spanish Citizen, and have never been to Nigeria…

I have voted in the last Local and State government election in Spain since I became a

citizen. I ran for the seat of Mayor as a Spanish Citizen, May 24, 2015.

I respect what Spain stands for, and “I cannot choose Nigeria over Spain . . . .”.

My loyalty, my choice will always remain that of Spain, its Honor, because of what

this country stands for. I am here today because of the freedom, good system of

democracy, the good life, the due process, the rule of law, etc....

I pay my taxes here in Spain, I’ve done everything a citizen ought to do. And I

respect what this country stands for, and I thank God for what this country made

me become.

I grew up here. I learned the ways. I went to school here. And I would absolutely

never take security and the defense of this country lightly. It is far greater than

any individual. It’s greater than my parents. It’s greater than my son. I feel a

sense of pride in contributing to the national growth of Spain.

I convincingly made the choice to become a Spanish citizen, to live and die here

(“I tell my son, if I die tomorrow, bury me here because I want the Spanish flag

draped over my coffin.”). I'll never visit Nigeria again…

I ask you, Her Excellency, The Nigerian Ambassador to Spain to act as your oath of

office behoves you: I'm no more a Nigerian citizen, destroy copy of my Nigerian

passport, and register my renunciation of my Nigerian Citizenship. …

Helen Mukoro Idisi…”

“You cannot eat your cake and have it” what else is she looking for from Nigeria after she renounced it. It’s like a dog going back to eat its vomits. If Nigeria is bad it’s left for Nigerian citizens to fight for their cause. As she declared her avowed love for her country Spain, so do I love Nigeria together with all well-meaning Nigerians in Spain? I am a proud Nigerian citizen and I have confidence in Nigeria. I pledged to Nigeria, my country to be faithful, loyal and honest, to serve Nigeria with all my strength, to defend her unity and uphold her honor and glory wherever I may be. And I will not remain passive or turn blind eyes when the image of my own country is being smeared by a citizen of another country. “If a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head”.

Is it not fraudulent and self-contradicting for somebody who renounced Nigerian nationality and take up Spanish citizenship to resort to Nigerian embassy to sponsor her political campaign in Spain? Here are the excerpts from a letter of complaint Helen Mukoro wrote to Nigerian embassy on April 29, 2015, complaining about the Embassy’s non response to her demand.

“ I would like to express my disappointment from your unsatisfactory level of service. I have expected much more from a prestigious and reputed country of our standard. I asked for moral and economic support at the Nigerian Embassy for my campaign but without reply…”

In the quoted letter, Helen presented a budget of 250,000 euros for the Embassy to finance her campaign in Spain. The Embassy declined her demand by letting her know that the Embassy is not authorized to finance election campaigns in Spain, Nigeria or anywhere in the world, as it is against international diplomatic regulations. Owing to the decline, she went on rampage and resorted to a campaign of calumny through the social media to blackmail, label corrupt allegations against the Nigerian government.

   “Is it ignorance that makes the rat attack the cat”?

The malicious articles, in the social media insulting and blackmailing the Nigerian government since May 3, and her latest publication of book review in the Sun newspaper, is the hallmark of insult and utter disrespect a sovereign nation  can tolerate from a citizen of another country. And I call on all well-meaning Nigerians everywhere to rise up and condemn this spat and slap on the face of Nigeria by the Spanish citizen.

 “He that knows, and knows not that he knows is asleep. Wake him”.

May I wake her up and others who may not know the implications and limits of what Spanish citizenship implies? Spain does not grant dual citizenship to Nigerians. By virtue of her status as a Spanish citizen, she is not a Nigerian anymore and cannot act as the mouthpiece of Nigerians. Doing that is to deceive her own conscience. And her actions amount to a serious breach of diplomatic protocol by attempting to spy on the activities of another nation and trying to extort money from a foreign mission to finance her political campaign, an act which is fraudulent and contrary to Spanish regulations.

“He that knows not, and knows that he knows not is a pupil. Teach him”.

Nigerians in Spain, it is diplomatically wrong for Spanish citizens to champion your cause. It is wrong for those that hold Spanish nationality to be leaders of Nigerian associations. I have to mention that because “If an idol becomes too troublesome, it will be shown the tree from which it was carved”.

I am a Nigerian citizen, and I feel insulted by the Spanish citizen’s actions, because I value the integrity of Nigeria. And as Nigerians, we have not surrendered our sovereignty to Spain or her citizen to champion our cause. Nigeria is for Nigerians. She abated crime by giving bribe, and today she has the audacity to expose herself and actions through misguided utterances. It is the behavior of one that knows full well that she is breaking the law. This venom targeted at Nigerian government is as a result of frustration that her selfish interest which amounts to extortion and fraud was not granted. Spain, please answer me. “When crocodiles eat their own eggs, what will they not do to the flesh of a frog?”

“He that knows not, and knows not that he knows not is a fool. Shun him”

Her actions clearly acknowledge that she has prepared herself to become discredited, isolated, pariah, and persona non grata to Nigeria. And I call on the Nigerian government not to hesitate to report her nefarious activities to the appropriate authorities in Spain. Also, I appeal to Spain to call her citizen, who may be unaware that she is dwelling in “ignorance is bliss” state, to order and tender an unreserved apology to the Nigerian government as to forestall any diplomatic row this reckless publications and  behaviour may cause.