Nigerian Government Wednesday revisited the recent designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as foreign terrorist organisations by the United States, saying that such designation should not affect Nigerians travelling to that country for legitimate engagements.
Vice President Namadi Sambo made this call, when he received in his office at the State House, Abuja a senior United States delegation led by the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
The Vice President expressed the hope that such designation would avail more opportunities for cooperation between Nigeria and the US in the quest for Government to end the insurgency, he however, cautioned that the designation should not affect Nigerian citizens travelling to the US on legitimate engagements.
He assured the delegation that the Federal Government was doing everything possible to urgently bring to an end the security challenges in the North-eastern part of the country, stressing that apart from the military action, other measures were being taken to address the socio-economic situation in that area. He noted that Nigerians are in full support of the actions government was taking to end the insurgency.
Vice President Sambo informed the delegation that President Goodluck Jonathan had directed for the strict compliance of the rule of engagement and human rights in the efforts to curb the activities of the insurgents. He further stressed that the rule of law still remains the cardinal principle of the administration’s Transformation Agenda.
Vice President Sambo also intimated the delegation on the developmental strides the government was making to reposition the socio-economic status of Nigerians, in the areas of Agriculture, education, power supply, transportation and youth and women empowerment among other sectors of the economy. He thanked President Barack Obama for the Power in Africa Initiative, and for making Nigeria a beneficiary.
The leader of the delegation, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that they were in the country to follow up on the discussions held between Presidents’ Goodluck Jonathan and Barack Obama of the United States, in New York in September, and also on the discussions between Vice President Sambo and his counterpart Joe Biden of the United States. She added that they were also following up on the deliberations during the Nigeria-US Bi-National Commission held in August.
She noted that the United States and Nigeria have had very fruitful partnerships in their relations, adding that the US was very much in support of the efforts of the Nigerian Government in surmounting the security challenges posed by insurgents in the country.
The Assistant Secretary stated that the designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organisations gives the US the opportunity to support Nigeria in tackling the security challenges posed by insurgents. She said that part of their visit was aimed at working out a counter-insurgency programme with the relevant stakeholders and to share information on various aspects of security, including maritime security so as to help in solving the security challenges.
She also stated that this meeting is one step in the long term dialogue that the US will have with Nigeria. She appreciated the opportunity to have the dialogue and looked forward to the continuation of such.
Other members of the delegation who spoke commended Nigeria for her achievements in the areas of agriculture, education and power supply, particularly noting the success achieved in the energy privatisation sector, saying that Nigeria was a role model to the world. They further congratulated Nigeria for Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesinafor being Forbes man of the year.
The US delegation comprised the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, Commander, US Africa Command, General David Rodriguez, Mr. Grant Harris, Ms. Amanda Dory, Mr. Earl Gast and Mr. Gregory Lawless.
Present at the meeting were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, the Supervising Minister of National Planning, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, and the Nigerian Ambassador to US, Professor Adebowale Adefuye, among other top government functionaries.
