The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has taken a swipe at the famous Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie over her open letter written to the President of United States, US on the 2023 presidential election.
The Informant247 recalls that the literary guru had on Thursday April 6 argued that the 2023 elections were intentionally manipulated by some political actors in the country.
She condemned the manner the US Department celebrated the outcome of the election whose process was faulty, despite its stance on “global community for democracy, and the need to stand up for “justice and the rule of law.
Keyamo in a statement titled ‘Nigerian’s Burgeoning (not hollow) Democracy’ took a swipe at Chimamanda, saying the letter has no diplomatic relevance.
Keyamo revealed his disappointment at how the famous writer ridiculed herself by writing a petty letter, saying the letter was a reflection of a pathetic colonial mentality.
He said the letter was not worthy and should be trashed into the bin by the US government secretary.
He said: “Long epistles written in flowery or purple prose by bitter supporters of sore losers, posing as ‘concerned citizens’ (but in reality actuated by ethnic politics) do not fall within these official or diplomatic sources. It is befuddling that someone often celebrated for using a God-given talent to promote our African values, will so tragically degrade that same ethos by penning a letter that is so petty, so grovelling in its tone in urging a single foreign power to withhold a mere congratulatory message to our President-elect as if that is what actually validates our own democratic identity. It reflects a pathetic colonial mentality.
“It is even more ironic to realise that the same foreign power to which the obsequious appeal is directed is still grappling with the credibility of its own internal democratic process that produced its present leadership. More tragic is that some rabid supporters here are falling over themselves in deluded ecstasy for such a worthless letter that may not even be considered worthy enough, in a diplomatic sense, for the attention of even a stenographer to an Under Secretary in the US.
“Such only paints the picture of a band of drowning supporters clutching at any straw to stay afloat. As for the empirical fallacies contained in the letter, I will not bother myself here with a lengthy response as enough have been said in the last few weeks in respect of those specific issues and all the issues are before our Justices awaiting adjudication.
“But I have bad news for them: the stenographer will probably toss the letter into a trash bin with the conclusion that it is no more than the tantrums of a Trump reincarnate in Nigeria – those who refuse to accept obvious defeat! Yes, the US has the likes of that writer in their midst too!”