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Insecurity: Presidency Blames Kukah, Others For US’ Inconsistent Military Support

Published

3 years ago

Apr 24, 2022.

Yinka Akanbi

The Presidency said that the United States’ policy and support to Nigeria have been so inconsistent over the years, especially as regards the provision of military equipment
The Presidency revealed that the reasons given for the delay—poor interreligious relations between Christianity and Islam in the country…

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Presidency on Sunday attributed the delayed delivery of 12 Super Tucano jet fighters for the Nigerian Air Force to fight insecurity across the country to comments by those it described as “the opponents of the Nigerian government” including the Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Kukah.

The Presidency revealed that the reasons given for the delay—poor interreligious relations between Christianity and Islam in the country—were compounded by constant lobbying of US Congress by the government’s opponents, including Kukah.

These were contained in a statement signed on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled ‘Predicting Nigeria’s collapse is a perennial pursuit of US think tanks and policy experts.’

It also said that the United States’ policy and support to Nigeria have been so inconsistent over the years, especially as regards the provision of military equipment to fight the decade-long insecurity in the Sahel region.

“Yet two years later, that jet delivery was rescinded, the reasons given that unless Nigeria improved its religious relations between Christianity and Islam then US support would not be forthcoming in this, and many other areas.

“Such views were compounded by the constant lobbying of US Congress by the opponents of the Nigerian government who had lost the previous election, and many of their southern religious supporters—including Bishop Mathew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Sokoto, who, unsurprising, provides a supportive quote for the dustcover of the new edition of Campbell’s book. (Kukah even took to addressing the US Congress himself, briefing his audience on the history of coups in Nigeria—without, of course, mentioning that none had occurred since 1993, some 29 years ago).

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“Fortunately, now today under a new US administration these jets have been delivered, and with it, a serious blow against the terrorists—with the supreme leader of Islamic State in West Africa and scores of other leaders of the group eliminated in airstrikes.

“It is also inconsistent to preach the need for stability but needlessly delay sharing military equipment in the form of jets – not least when it is now proven they would have helped Nigeria much earlier defeat the terrorists who threaten our country.”

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