US Congress building
By Nduka Nwosu in Washington
Worried by the security challenge facing the country and the threat of
post-election violence from next month’s poll, United States Congress
has slated hearing titled: ‘Nigeria on the Brink’ for Tuesday.
Also at the weekend, the State Department confirmed that Secretary of
State, John Kerry, will be in Lagos this Sunday to emphasise the
importance of ensuring that the upcoming elections are peaceful,
non-violent and credible. This confirmed THISDAY’s earlier story on the
planned visit. A statement issued by the Department’s Deputy
Spokesperson, Marie Harf, said Kerry will meet with "President
Goodluck Jonathan and Major General (Retired) Muhammadu Buhari.”
The hearing which will be conducted by the US House Committee on
Foreign Affairs, Sub-committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human
Rights and International Organisations, will also focus on what the US
government should do to get the relationship with Nigeria back on track.
The House Committee chairman, Christopher Smith (R-NJ), who issued a statement on the hearing, asked: “Why Nigeria?”
“Nigeria is an important African nation, not just for that region, but
also for the international community as a whole. This major oil
producer, which is also Africa’s most populous nation, is facing a
variety of crises, including an increasingly vicious war against Boko
Haram, the threat of post-election violence following the upcoming
presidential election next month, ongoing inter-religious and
inter-ethnic conflict and an economy suffering from drastically reduced
revenue due to falling oil prices. This comes at a time when US-Nigeria
relations are said to be at a low point. This hearing will examine
Nigeria’s challenges and what the U.S. government should do to get our
relations with Nigeria, especially involving security cooperation, back
on track,” Smith stated.
The hearing, which will be made up of two panels, will have Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of
State, Robert P. Jackson, as witness in Panel I. Director Africa Centre
Atlantic Council, Peter Pham; Principal Partner, Bonajo Badejo &
Co., Mr. Jadegoke Adebonajo Badejo; Manager, Justice for Jos Project,
Jubilee Campaign USA,Mr. Emmanuel Ogebe, and Senior Associate and
Regional Director for Central and West Africa National Democratic
Institute, Chris Fomunyoh, are witnesses in Panel II.
Meanwhile, Director of African Programmes of the Centre for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS), Ms. Jennifer Cooke, has apologised for
the cancellation of the much advertised public lecture on “Nigeria’s
future as it stands on the edge of a pivotal national elections” slated
to hold tomorrow in Washington DC. APC presidential candidate, General
Muhammadu Buhari, was billed to speak at the event.
Apologising over the cancellation of the Buhari lecture, Cooke said:
“In the run-up to the election, the leaderships of Nigeria’s two main
political parties were both extended an invitation to speak at CSIS. We
apologise for any inconvenience this cancellation may cause.”
Nigeria’s security challenges and the upcoming election have been of
interest to US policy makers. Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, Professor
Ade Adefuye, had addressed an interactive session organised by the
Corporate Council for Africa last week, that Nigeria will surely hold a
free and fair election next month and will go on to become strong and
united to the shame of those waiting for the disintegration of the
country.
However Adefuye who in the last one week has been addressing a mixed
audience of the international community in Washington, Ohio and Atlanta
left one recurring message: "Nigeria will emerge stronger and better
after the 2015 elections" assuring his audience it is well with the
country while former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs,
Ambassador Johnnie Carson, at an interactive session on the 2015
elections said there was need for a better management and implementation
of state resources asking for a free and fair elections.
Adefuye responded that the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) was not only ready to conduct a transparent electoral process but
was independent in all ramifications.
He continued: “The conduct of the 2011 elections was largely
satisfactory to the majority of the local populace as well as the
international community with the assistance of our foreign partners, the
capacity of the electoral commission to discharge its duty effectively
has been strengthened
Said Adefuye: “The Commission is far from being perfect; in fact, as
of now, there have been criticisms of its handling of the Permanent
Voter’s Card (PVC), but the Commission is very responsive and is
expected to address this and other gaps before the elections in
February.”
ThisDay
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