The Nigerian government has reacted to the letter written by some United Kingdom lawmakers to Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland QCover the increasing violence in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government in a statement signed by Garba Shehu the Senior Special Assistant to the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari described the letter as a “propaganda”.
In a letter dated 14 September, a group of lawmakers including Caroline Cox, David Alton, Jin Shannon and Helena Kennedy, said thousands of civilians in the country had been killed and elements of the Nigerian Government may be “complicit in the violence”.
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Others, who signed the letter, are Lord Williams, Lord Carey, Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Phillip Mounstephen, Lord Stoddart, Lord Anderson, Lord Cormack.
Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, Ayo Adedoin, Ewelina Ochab, Mervyn Thomas, Dr Khataza Gondwe, Nevile Kyrte-Smith, Dr John Eibiner and Ann Buwalda.
The letter fingered the Nigerian government on the attacks by Boko Haram, Fulani herders and other Islamic militia in the Northern, central-belt states, and increasing violence in the South-east.
Citing a report by the UK All-Party Parliament Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, the MPs accused Buhari-led administration of ‘complicity’ in the violence.
But the government spokesman on Thursday night defended the action the government has taken so far to address the farmer-herder clashes and other insecurities in the country.
Mr Garba says the government ‘welcomes the attention paid to this serious challenge by the Commonwealth”, however, invites ‘our British colleagues to visit Nigeria, whether formally or informally’ to discuss all the points raised in their letter.
The Nigerian government said its government is made up of ‘Christian and Muslim cabinet members’, adding that the Vice-President of Nigeria is an Evangelical Pastor as the country has ‘everything to gain as a country’ through international cooperation with concerned, senior British parliamentarians and policymakers.
The Senior aide described as ‘incorrect’ the idea that the government has done nothing to address the intertwined threats.
The statement added “Firstly, there are on-going efforts for the establishment of cattle ranches to prevent or curtail open grazing, the practice that brings herders and farmers into conflict. This is an age-old problem facing Nigerian Governments since the colonial days.
“However, matters of land distribution are dealt with at the state level. This means willingness has to be shown by state governors to drive the process forward. The Federal Government launched a plan last year to work with states to address these issues – together. Unfortunately, this has been lacking in some states.
“Secondly, with regards to the long and determined battle waged against Boko Haram, Nigerians are aware of the efforts made by this Government. When the government came to power, the terrorist group held and administered an area the size of Belgium. Now they hold none.”
Mr Garba also alleged that “the terrorists are hiding out amongst remote forests and across borders. This makes it difficult to extinguish the final flames of the insurgency, and the government has no illusions of the potent threat still posed. However, the progress made cannot be denied.”
Buhari’s government said the administration has taken drastic action in addressing the rising crime and insecurity by its ‘new community policing initiative’ which was launched in early September
In its defence, “10,000 new constables are being recruited from the areas they will safeguard – as opposed to past practice. The government hopes this will bring policing closer to local communities. N13 billion has been earmarked for this initiative.”
The spokesman warned the MPs to be wary, that not all “who press them have the best interest of either democratic governance or peaceful coexistence in mind.”
TY Danjuma Not A “Natural Source of Pressure For Good Governance”
The MPs in a letter to the Nigerian government had cited a statement by Nigerian former army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Theophilus Danjuma who said armed forces are “not neutral, they collude” in the “ethnic cleansing” by Fulani herders.
The letter referred to Danjuma’s call for self-defence from the hapless citizens, because “depending on the armed forces” will result in them dying” one by one. Ethnic cleansing must stop.
In defence, the Nigerian government said Danjuma ‘relinquished that position some 40 years ago – in 1979’.
“He was last in a government position 17 years ago in 2003 (as Minister of Defence). At that time, religious and ethnic riots erupted in two states of the federation, (2001 and 2002), these were violently and ruthlessly put down by the military under his authority, leading to the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of some further 50,000 persons. He is, therefore, not a natural source of pressure for good governance.”
Mr Garba accused another signatory to the letter as a ‘well-known’ associate of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a Nigerian-blacklisted terrorist group.
“The IPOB is running a well-known (source-of-financing-unknown) international campaign intended to damage the reputation of Nigeria and its government in order to further their cause of “independence”, Mr Garba said.
He added “He jumped bail in Nigeria. He frequently travels on a Nigerian passport but urged his supporters to burn their passports! The IPOB barely mention their aims in their publicity; neither do they mention that their own leaders do not claim to be Christian.
“Yet, their media and lobbying campaign has focused near-exclusively on promoting matters related to Christianity in Nigeria, promulgating false claims that a government with 50 per cent of its cabinet and 50 per cent of its State Governors who are Christian somehow works against Christians. We call on our British friends and colleagues to join us in addressing genuine solutions not pander to agents of anarchy.”
Copy of the letter from the UK lawmakers
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