Consul-General of Nigeria: “I’m a Muslim, I Can Never Enter a Church”

August 13, 2012 By conyeani Leave a Comment

“I’m a Muslim, I can never enter a Church,” so said the Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Mr. Habib Abba Habu, responding to complaints from Nigerians that the Consulate never responded to the deaths of five Nigerians in a tragic and ghastly accident on the 21st of July, 2012.  The accident had rocked the consciousness of Americans throughout the country by its sheer ghastliness and tragedy that claimed the lives of three women and two children in New York.

When we started getting complaints that the Nigerian Consulate-General in New York did not once react to this tragedy, did not visit the surviving accident victims at the hospital, never replied to a letter from the President of the Arondizuogu Patriotic Union National Congress of North America (An Umbrella union of all Arondizuogu people  – an Igbo ethnic group) resident in the North America, nor did they send anybody to the wake-keeping on Friday, July 10, in the Bronx, New York, I decided to get the Nigerian Consul-General, Mr. Habib Abba Habu, to respond to the allegations. (Read more)

“Religious Bigot, I Am Not!”, Nigeria’s Consul-General, NY

August 14, 2012 By conyeani Leave a Comment

Nigeria’s Consul General in the EEUU Habib Baba Habu

RELIGIOUS BIGOT, I AM NOT!

BY HABIB BABA HABU,

CONSUL GENERAL OF NIGERIA, NEW YORK

 

My attention was drawn to an article written by Mr. Chika Onyeani in his weekly online newspaper “The African Sun Time” of August 14, 2012, on the unfortunate accident of 21^st July, 2012, which claimed the lives of five Nigerians and left some wounded.  My prayers go to the families of those who lost their loved ones.  May the Almighty accept them unto His keeping and grant their families fortitude to bear this irreparable sad loss.  May God also quicken the recovery of the wounded ones and provide their families succor. (Read More)

Nigerian Embassy Responds to the Tragic Loss of Nigerians in New York

August 15, 2012 By conyeani Leave a Comment

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday while in Manhattan with my six year-old granddaughter when my cell phone rang as we were getting to the Penn Station to take a train back to New Jersey as we had come into New York so that she could have the experience of riding the subway as well as in a New York taxi.  The number from a 202 area code, and it wasn’t identifiable.  I answered it and it was a senior official from the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, informing me that the Head of Mission Ambassador Maurice E. Archibong had authorized him to call me.

Rev. Kayode, who ran for office for City councilman, has been rendering this kind of service to Nigerians in the New York area without thought of ethnicity, and in actuality, Rev. David Kayode is Yoruba and the individuals who died are members of the Igbo ethnic group.  At the wake-keeping he was the individual that seated the VIPs.  “I had seats for the Police Department, the Mayor’s office, the Borough President’s office, politicians, as well as a place for the Consulate-General, but it was empty throughout the service. I would have known had they sent somebody,” said Rev. Kayode.  He said that he could hardly contain his anger for what he termed as “irresponsible behavior” on the part of the Consul-General, Mr. Habib Abba Habu.

The Nigerian community not in New York, but all over, owe Rev. Kayode a deep expression of appreciation for his selfless service.(Read more)