Zumunta Association Rebukes Minister Tuggar Over ‘Divisive’ Label, Defends Decades of Diaspora Unity and Service

One of the United States’ oldest Nigerian diaspora organisations, Zumunta Association USA Inc., has issued a firm rebuttal to recent comments made by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who allegedly described the group as “divisive” during a speech at the Diaspora Bridge Initiative launch in Abuja.

In a statement made available to press outlets, Zumunta President Sunday Bitrus condemned the minister’s remarks as “a serious misrepresentation” that disrespects over three decades of the association’s work in promoting national unity, humanitarian service, and civic advocacy across the Nigerian diaspora.

“Zumunta is not a Northern organisation, as some may mistakenly believe,” Bitrus clarified. “We are a truly national movement representing Nigerians from all six geopolitical zones. Our name means ‘togetherness’ in Hausa and we’ve lived that value since our founding in New York City in 1991.”

The organisation said it has contributed significantly to community development in Nigeria through partnerships with local governments, healthcare organisations, and diaspora groups, citing collaborations with entities like NIDO, ANPA, Egbe Omo Oduduwa, and Nasarawa State Government. Bitrus also listed ongoing diaspora support projects, from healthcare outreach to cultural preservation and advocacy for improved consular services.

He took particular issue with the Ministry’s slow response to longstanding calls for a Nigerian consulate on the U.S. West Coast. “It’s disheartening that our consistent efforts to address glaring diplomatic service gaps are ignored, only to be dismissed later as ‘divisive,’” Bitrus noted.

Zumunta’s statement stressed that such public comments from a high-ranking official risk discouraging diaspora engagement at a time when remittances, investment, and citizen diplomacy are critical to Nigeria’s development. “The diaspora is not a threat,” Bitrus asserted. “We are an asset. Our demand is simple: engagement based on mutual respect not tokenism or dismissal.”

He urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to embrace the spirit of collaboration the Diaspora Bridge initiative was supposedly designed to foster, warning that condescension toward diaspora organisations would only further strain trust.

“Zumunta will not be distracted or silenced,” he concluded. “We remain committed to a unified Nigeria one that includes, not excludes, its global citizens.”

The association reaffirmed its openness to dialogue but insisted that future engagements must treat diaspora voices as equal stakeholders, not mere spectators.