The Presidency on Sunday said that the United States’ policy
and support to Nigeria have been inconsistent over the years, especially as
regards the provision of military equipment to fight the decade-long insecurity
in the Sahel region.
It also berated the US policy experts and think tanks for
their perennial attempts at predicting the country’s collapse; which, it said,
does not paint a true picture of a country that has enjoyed 23 years of steady
democracy 29 years since its last coup.
Citing the delayed delivery of 12 Super Tucano jet fighters
for the Nigerian Air Force, the Presidency noted that the reasons given for the
delay—poor interreligious relations between Christianity and Islam in the
country—were compounded by constant lobbying of US Congress by the opponents of
the Nigerian government including the Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Sokoto,
Mathew Kukah, whom it accused of projecting a warped picture of Nigeria’s
23-year-old democracy to the global community.
These were contained in a statement signed on Sunday by the
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,
titled ‘Predicting Nigeria’s collapse is a perennial pursuit of US think tanks
and policy experts.’
The statement partly read: “It is a pity therefore that US
policy and support towards our country, including during the Buhari
administration, has been so inconsistent.
“In 2015 the then newly-elected Buhari government requested
US military support in the form of Super Tucano jet fighters for the Nigerian
Air Force. The Nigerian military, security, and intelligence services
repeatedly made this request. The US administration of the time concurred: the
delivery of such jets would help deliver a critical turning point in Nigeria’s
struggle against jihadist terrorists across the Sahel.
“Yet two years later, that jet delivery was rescinded, the
reasons given that unless Nigeria improved its religious relations between
Christianity and Islam then US support would not be forthcoming in this, and
many other areas.
“Such views were compounded by the constant lobbying of US
Congress by the opponents of the Nigerian government who had lost the previous
election, and many of their southern religious supporters—including Bishop
Mathew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Sokoto, who, unsurprising,
provides a supportive quote for the dustcover of the new edition of Campbell’s
book. (Kukah even took to addressing the US Congress himself, briefing his
audience on the history of coups in Nigeria—without, of course, mentioning that
none had occurred since 1993, some 29 years ago).
“Fortunately, now today under a new US administration these
jets have been delivered, and with it, a serious blow against the
terrorists—with the supreme leader of Islamic State in West Africa and scores
of other leaders of the group eliminated in airstrikes.
“It is also inconsistent to preach the need for stability
but needlessly delay sharing military equipment in the form of jets – not least
when it is now proven they would have helped Nigeria much earlier defeat the
terrorists who threaten our country.”
The Presidency also lamented that despite glaring contrary
evidence predictors of Nigeria’s state collapse have continued to bet big on
their word.
It said, “In 2005, a US National Intelligence Council paper
“Mapping Sub-Saharan Africa’s Future” floated the idea there could be a
military coup in Nigeria. However, for the last 29 years—close to a
generation—there have been none.
“Since the return of democracy in 1999 there have been six
general elections, four elected presidents, four transfers of power—including
one in 2015 between the winning opposition candidate and the losing incumbent
president seeking re-election.
“Yet despite all the evidence to the contrary, the collapse
predictors keep doubling down on their bets. Most recently retired former US
Ambassador to Nigeria 2004-7 John Campbell has updated his book, of which the
first edition said:
“‘While Nigerians often claim they are masters of dancing on
the brink without falling off, the disastrous administration of President
Goodluck Jonathan, the radical Islamic insurrection Boko Haram, and escalating
violence in the delta and the north may finally provide the impetus that pushes
it into the abyss of state failure.’
“It didn’t of course, quite the opposite: Jonathan was
defeated at the 2015 general election with power peacefully transferring to the
victor, President Muhammadu Buhari.”
According to Shehu, the people of Nigeria—the majority of
which were born after the last coup of 1993—and who have known nothing their
whole lives except democracy and elected government are living proof that
democracy is here to stay.
“Though often negative, Campbell does however consistently
express an important view that it is in the interests of the United States to
encourage democracy and security in Nigeria. The government of Nigeria concurs.
“It is all very well to claim it is in the United States’
interests to help Nigeria become an even-better democracy and stable country.
It is quite another to forever avoid mentioning the last coup which was 29
years ago, and that since 1999 Nigeria has enjoyed 23 unbroken years of
democratically elected governments and peaceful transition between them,” the
Presidency stated.
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