A Nigerian YouTuber in the United Kingdom, Emdee Tiamiyu, has come under fire for his comments in a viral BBC interview.
Tiamiyu, from Osun state, said in the interview that Nigerians migrating to the United Kingdom use schooling as a ploy to gain entry into the country.
“So the student thing is not real. It is not like they need the degrees. They need the degree as an access road to come into the country, so a lot of these people their priorities shifted real fast,” he said.
Clips of the interview have gone viral on Nigerian social media, sparking outrage among the populace.
An unapologetic Tiamiyu stated in another interview with On-Air-Personality, ‘Daddy Freeze’, that: “If you want to be real, you will offend people.”
Nigerians have taken to social media to condemn the actions of Tiamiyu, with many saying he has betrayed his compatriots.
“Emdee Tiamiyu is a mindless clown. Nigerians are already being stigmatized, our country has a negative image, but instead of correcting the wrong perceptions, he deliberately threw Nigerians under the bus for views & cheap clout. Ignorance is a disease. I hope karma visits him soon, public commentator,” Daniel Regha wrote on Twitter.
Creative director Cyrus Agbo wrote:
“I hope Emdee Tiamiyu KNOWS beyond reasonable doubt that he can neither move freely nor identify among Nigerians worldwide. Lol. He will not be forgiven. E DON BE FOR AM. Nigerians, globally, do not forget.”
King Afam Akatakpo, a film maker, wrote:
“A dumbass like Emdee Tiamiyu doesn’t understand how the West thinks.
They can be the nicest creatures just to get all the info they want/need from you. You will think they support you because they smile and laugh with you. Too bad you will fall for their reverse psychology.”
Melanea Adaeze wrote:
“Emdee Tiamiyu situation. I reckon it may create or intensify indirect racism in the UK. The narrative has been created. The ban was gonna happen regardless of the interview. The conversation around it started in November last year.”
However, Dipo Awojide, an entrepreneur, stated that the UK government only needed Tiamiyu to support their specific plans on their new policy.
He wrote:
“The BBC needed Emdee Tiamiyu to provide content to support a certain narrative that will be ‘sold’ to the British public. Nothing he said is new to the Home Office. No one in Nigeria should be worried about how this will affect them. It won’t affect you. They needed this.”
The BBC had earlier reported that foreign postgraduate students, including Nigerians, on non-research courses, would no longer be able to bring family members to the UK, under new immigration laws.
