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BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 8 April 2021

Source: BBC

'Tonto Dike Ambassador award no get anything to do wit United Nations and e dey illegal'

Tonto Dikeh den en fake award Tonto Dikeh den en fake award

United nations don react to Nigerian celebrity, Tonto Dikeh 'United Nations Noble International Ambassador for di United Nations Rescue Services award.

Nigerian actress, Tonto Dikeh bin recently announce her honour as di United Nations Noble International Ambassador for di United Nations Rescue Services on Wednesday, 7th March, 2021.

Dis announcement don raise questions whether dis honorary ambassadorial awards/appointment dey come from di United Nations or whether e even dey real?

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Wetin United Nations tok?

Director of United Nations Information Centre for Nigeria, Ronald Kayanja confam give BBC News Pidgin say di award no get anything to do with di United nations and e dey illegal.

"Dis na wetin I wan follow up wit di authorities in Nigeria, we get many organisations wey go just put United Nations for everything.

"Dis no get anything at all to do wit di United Nations. A number of civil society organisations around di world get way to participate for UN meetings of di Economic Social Council (ECOSOC) but e no get any way dem become members of di United Nations

"But dem fit participate and we dey give dem wetin we call 'consultative status', meaning dem get opportunity to participate

"We no dey sure if dem - United nations Rescue Services- get any consultative status wit di ECOSOC, but even if dem get e no make dem di United Nations. Di Award dey fake and e dey illegal," na so oga Ronald explain give BBC Pidgin.

Oga Ronald also say no organisation get rights to give awards and name am under di United nations.

"We get protocols wey we dey follow to give di United Nations Awards or honours and dis no be am." he add.

Wetin di organisation wey give Tonto Dike Award tok?

BBC Pidgin follow di Global Chairman of di United Nations Rescue Service wey honour Tonto Dike wit di "United Nations Noble International Ambassador"

Ambassador Steve Midalah explain give us say im organisation na one of di arms of di United Nations Economic and Social Council.

"Our goal na to work on di eradication of poverty for Nigeria and for us government no fit do everything alone, so we decide to come in and see wetin we fit do for our citizens

"We get initiative wey we dey call di United nations Noble Ambassador awards and we dey give dis award to only pipo wey identify themself to use dia knowledge, time and resources to serve humanity even though we no know dem before."

Oga Steve say na sake of dis dem decide to honor Tonto Dike for her humanitarian work.

"I neva meet Tonto Dike before, na just sake of di award but I dey follow her activities on social media, how she reach out to pipo especially during di lockdown.

"Na pipo like dat we dey identify to honour wit di Nobel International Ambassador Awards."

When we ask if dis award dey recognised by di UN, Steve say "Na United nations recognised awards, I be one of di Executive Directors, I get di mandate of di UN."

Although di United Nations Information Department for Nigeria don refute dis claim.

Dis no be di first time wey di Nigerian actress go dey involved in dis kain mata.

Tori be say, earlier dis year di Nigerian actress bin lay claim to say she get appointment as di Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission Ambassador of Peace.

Di commission later come out to deny say dem make Tonto Dike dia Ambassador.

"Dis claim by her dey spurious, unfounded and should be discarded and seen by all Nigerians as a figment of her imagination ."Na so NCPC tok.