NG News: We Have a Stake in the Country - U.S.
Leadership (Abuja)
31 January 2008
Posted to the web 31 January 2008
Iyobosa Uwugiaren
Abuja
As one of its most strategic partners on a number of political, regional and economic issues, the United States of America says it would not fold its hands and allow a regime that lacks transparency, accountability and democratic values in Nigeria.
The new US ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Robin Renee Sanders, stated this in a press statement issued yesterday in Abuja.
The ambassador who is currently on her first listening tour to states like Lagos, Plateau, Delta and Rivers, had met with a range of Nigerian officials, business and community leaders.
Mrs. Sanders, who arrived Nigeria five weeks ago is "the first US ambassador that has been on the ground in Rivers and Delta States in several years," said the statement.
The ambassador said that what she heard during her "listening tour" from Nigerians was that "the Nigerian people want an evolving and transparent democracy that advances their life goals and that they see the United States as an advocate and partner in these efforts, particularly on anti-corruption issues."
She said the US was a "friend with the same goals," as most Nigerians and outlined the US way forward as a "vision for 2008 that was a framework for partnership, which include, governing justly, transparently and democratically, investing in people, peace and security, enhancing business and economic ties."
She expressed America's determination to help Nigeria strengthen the rule of law through cooperation with the National Assembly, fighting corruption through continued technical assistance to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and civil society groups, on issues of fiscal accountability.
Her words: "The United States wants to partner with Nigeria's federal and state governments on investing in their people in a transformational way.
"I am dedicated to a partnership with stewardship that works towards realising the aspirations for a better quality of life for all Nigerian people. The way forward for the US-Nigerian relationship is through dialogue, cooperation and partnership."
Meanwhile, the US government has explained that the proposed African Command (AFRICOM) is not targeted at recolonising Africa or taking over the volatile Niger Delta region through military action.
This is just as the House of Representatives Committee on Defence yesterday expressed reservations on the establishment of AFRICOM, saying Nigerians need to be enlightened on the issue beyond reasonable doubt.
A representative of the US mission to Nigeria, Mr. Geoffrey Martineau, who made the clarification yesterday at an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, said AFRICOM's primary goal is to enhance and improve US' partnership with Africa.
"The point I wish to make today is that AFRICOM's goal is simply to enhance and improve our partnership with Africa. We want to do what we already do more efficiently, and free up more money on the ground to help Africans.
"There is nothing nefarious in AFRICOM, no plan to recolonise Africa, no plan to invade the Delta, or create military bases throughout Africa. It is simply that we decided to reorganise our military in a way that will simply make more sense in cooperating with African nations, and in the end it will strengthen African sovereignty in Africa by strengthening African governments."
Martineau, whose meeting with the Defence Committee was to sell the concept of AFRICOM to the lawmakers, explained that AFRICOM was a new US military headquarters devoted solely to Africa to better enable the department of defence and other elements of the US government to work in concert with its African parties to achieve a more stable environment in which political and economic growth can flourish.
He disclosed that AFRICOM would fully take off by October 2008, with an operational headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, adding that it would enhance African sovereignty and security by building partnerships to enable African solutions to African challenges.
"It begins with understanding our African partners' definitions of their own environment and interests and understanding the complexities of the diverse countries and cultures across the continent."
According to him, the US policy has been and would remain predominantly oriented towards non-military objectives, disclosing that the US government spends about $9 billion annually on initiatives and activities in Africa, of which only $250 million is spent on military programmes.
The mission officer also disclosed that the US government has increased funding for the training of Nigeria's military officers in the US under the International Military and Education Training (IMET) from $695 million to $800 million in 2008.
He listed Nigeria's officers who have benefitted from the programme since inception to include the chief of defence staff, General Azazi, former chief of staff and now UN Mission commander in Sudan, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, chief of naval staff, Vice Admiral Afolayan and chief of air staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike.
But in his reaction, chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Hon. Wole Oke, said the parliament was not comfortable with AFRICOM.
He said the US government would need to do more on enlightenment to prove to Nigerians that it has no hidden agenda with the project.
Also, deputy chairman of the committee, Hon. Umar Bature, said the US government must change the strategy it has adopted in selling the AFRICOM issue for Nigerians to properly see its benefits.
Bature, a former deputy defence attaché in Washington, DC, expressed misgivings that AFRICOM may not be used for the objective it is being set up after all.
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