Ex-premier apologizes for Nigerian prince tweet
Former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has apologized after comparing the federal government’s plan to impose a price on carbon to a “Nigerian prince” email scam on social media last week.
Wall’s apology came after some Nigerian immigrants raised concerns about the post.
David Ogunkanmi, who was born in Ibadan, Nigeria and has spent the last eight years in Saskatoon, said he lost respect for the former premier after his “very, very disheartening ” remark.
“For him to come out and use that phrase simply because of a difference in policies, because of partisanship, you now took a whole country and used them in a derogatory manner,” Ogunkanmi said.
Reached by email Monday morning, Wall replied: “I apologize to any that were offended by the tweet or felt it was at all a slight on any nationality. That certainly was not the intent.”
He subsequently deleted the tweet.
The Nigerian Canadian Association of Saskatoon was “shocked” by the tweet because the community regards Wall as a leader who made significant contributions to immigration in Saskatchewan, according to financial director Olalekan Oyefuga.
Oyefuga said that while the comment was not fair to “hardworking” Nigerians, the association is pleased that Wall apologized and deleted it: “We believe it was done in error without the context of what he was saying, or the impact.”
Wall posted the original tweet on Oct. 23, after the federal government outlined details of its plan to impose a carbon price on four provinces, including Saskatchewan, beginning next year.
Under Ottawa’s plan, large industrial emitters will begin paying a carbon tax on Jan. 1, while fuel producers and distributors will start being charged on April 1, a cost that is expected to be passed on to consumers.
The federal government has pledged to return the proceeds to Saskatchewan through payments to families, certain sectors and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province.
“Usually when someone tells you to send in money but you’ll get more back in return, it’s a Nigerian prince,” Wall tweeted in his latest jab at Ottawa over the plan, which both he and his successor oppose.
The reference is to an advancefee scam, a type of fraud that typically involves one or more small payments up front in exchange for a much larger return that never materializes.
According to the Boston Globe, advance-fee scams can be traced back to the “Spanish Prisoner” fraud, which appeared in the late 18th century, which was modified to suit Nigeria in the “wildly corrupt” 1980s.
On Monday, Wall’s post had been retweeted more than 3,500 times and accumulated almost 7,600 likes.
It has also been referenced in the media, as well as in the House of Commons; Premier Scott Moe joked about it in a radio interview last week.
Ogunkanmi said Wall retains a lot of influence, and his comment is “very harmful” for the many Nigerian students and professionals — including his 16-year-old son, who just arrived in the country — building lives in Canada.
“I’m like, ‘Look here son, your dad is not a scammer. Your grandfather … is not a scammer. Your grandmom is not a scammer. Your mom is not a scammer. None of our family is scammers.’”
We believe it was done in error without the context of what he was saying, or the impact.