Both the Federal Government and the National Assembly have been slammed by former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, on Saturday, for failing to act early to counter what he labeled as the growing “misconception” about religious persecution in Nigeria before the United States reclassified the country as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
Ndume, who represents Borno Central, reacting on the development in the statement, expressed concern that both the Tinubu administration and the Senate ignored earlier warnings and failed to engage Washington diplomatically before the re-designation was announced.
“I have alerted the government, I even moved a motion. Nigeria is a sovereign state. It isn’t about what the United States can do to us, but about the misconception and the ripple effects of classifying us as a country of concern.
“We should engage the American government by presenting facts and figures. By engaging the US government, we should demand that they hear the other side of the story from the Nigerian government and the Muslim community.
“Muslims have been killed, too. The genocide isn’t against Christians but Nigerians generally,” he said.
Ndume called on the Federal Government to urgently engage experienced diplomats, especially in the United Nations, to correct the narrative and help steer diplomatic dialogue.
“Before things get out of hand, Nigeria should engage seasoned diplomats like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Babagana Kingibe, Professor Sulu Gambari, and Aminat Mohammed in the United Nations.
“They should also engage the American embassy in Nigeria because they have the facts. We can change the narrative by ensuring that we aren’t tagged ‘country of particular concern,’ but ‘country of special concern,’ so that they can give us all the support, including arms and ammunition, to effectively contain the terrorists.
“The good thing about America is that if they know the truth, they will stick to it,” the senator added.
