A member of the United States Congress, Tom Marino, has
written a letter to Secretary of State, John Kerry, asking the US government to
withhold security assistance to Nigeria until President Muhammadu Buhari
demonstrates a “commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of
democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of speech”.
He also asked the State Department to refrain from selling
warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria until President Buhari
establishes a track record of working towards inclusion.
In a two-page letter dated September 1, 2016 and addressed
to Kerry, a copy of which was exclusively obtained by THISDAY yesterday,
Marino, a Republican from Pennsylvania who assumed office on January 3, 2011,
said there were a number of warning signs emerging in the Buhari administration
that signal “the man who once led Nigeria as a military dictator might be
sliding towards former autocratic tendencies”.
The Congressman, who is a member of the Committees on the
Judiciary, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs, and the Chairman,
Sub-committee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law, said Nigerian
government must “hold accountable those members of the Nigerian Police Force
and the Nigerian Military complicit in extra-judicial killings and war crimes”.
In the six-paragraph letter to Kerry, Marino also expressed
concern over Nigeria’s anti-corruption war, saying “of additional concern is
President Buhari’s selective anti-corruption drive, which has focused almost
exclusively on members of the opposition party, over-looking corruption amongst
some of Buhari’s closest advisors. Politicizing his anti-corruption efforts has
only reinforced hostility among southerners”.
His letter to Kerry reads: “Dear Secretary Kerry, I am encouraged
by the personal interest you have taken in aiding Nigeria and its
administration as it takes on endemic corruption, multiple insurgent movements,
and a faltering economy. However, I believe there are a number of warning signs
emerging in the Buhari administration that signal “the man who once led Nigeria
as a military dictator might be sliding towards former autocratic tendencies.”
“I would urge the U.S. to withhold its security assistance
to the nation until President Buhari demonstrates a commitment to inclusive
government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and
freedom of speech. A logical start towards this commitment is for the Nigerian
government to hold accountable those members of the Nigerian Police Force and
the Nigerian Military complicit in extra-judicial killings and war crimes”.
“Human rights groups like Amnesty International have widely
documented torture, inhumane treatment, and extra-judicial killings of
defenseless Nigerians since President Buhari took office.”
Quoting Amnesty International Report, he wrote, “in the last
six months, Nigeria’s military has unlawfully killed at least 350 people and
allowed more than 168 people, including babies and children, to die in military
detention.”
He further wrote: “The Secretary to the Government of Kaduna
State even admitted to burying 347 of those killed in a mass grave. And while
President Buhari promised swift condemnation, his words rang empty. Instead of
swift reforms, Buhari chose to reinstate Major General Ahmadu Mohammed, who
Amnesty International revealed was in charge of the Nigerian military unit that
executed more than 640 unarmed, former detainees.
“Also, in separate incidents concerning the Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB), the Nigerian Army has killed at least 36 – the real
number is likely higher – people since December 2015 in an attempt to silence
opposition and quell attempts by the group to gather publicly.”
Describing President Buhari as a former military dictator
whose reign (as military head of state) was cut short by a coup, he stated that
the President has continually shunned inclusivity in favour of surrounding
himself with advisors and ministers from the north of the country and the
region he considers home.
“Of President Buhari’s 122 appointees, 77 are from the north
and control many of the key ministries and positions of power. Distrust is
already high in Nigeria and favouring Northerners for key appointments has only
antagonized the issue. These appointments are also primarily Muslim in the
north and Christian in the south, adding a religious aspect to long-held
regional biases.
“Of additional concern is President Buhari’s selective
anti-corruption drive, which has focused almost exclusively on members of the
opposition party, over-looking corruption amongst some of Buhari’s closest
advisors. Politicizing his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced
hostility among southerners,” he claimed in the letter.
He said the Obama Administration would advance justice by
urging the Buhari Administration to act decisively to hold accountable members
of the police and military.
The congressman said, “This is a logical first step in
making a demonstrable, sustained commitment to inclusive democracy, with
distributed power in Nigeria. Until President Buhari establishes a track record
of working towards inclusion, we ask the State Department to refrain from
selling warplanes and other military equipment to the country.
“The State Department should urge President Buhari to form a
government that represents the diversity of its citizens and allows dissenting
voices to be heard. Democracy can thrive only if people are free to assemble,
to express their beliefs, and voice their concerns.”
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