(By Sola Ojo – KADUNA)
Erstwhile Nigerian Senate President Ameh Ebute has expressed his displeasure over comments attributed to US congressman Tom Marino on Nigeria, asking the federal government to petition Marino with the US government through diplomatic channels.
Ebute, who stated in a letter to the Nigerian minister of foreign affairs dated September 6, 2016, copy of which was made available to media in Kaduna, suggested that the Nigerian government should find a way to tell Congressman Marino to limit himself to what he is knowledgeable about instead of dabbling into the politics of Nigeria which he said from all indications Marino knows nothing about.
Marino, a congressional Republican, had in a widely circulated letter to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, accused President Buhari of running an autocratic government and that he should not be offered assistance in fighting the Boko Haram insurgency until he runs an ‘inclusive government’.
Former President of the Senate said though Marino has the right as a human to express his concerns but “to the extent that his letter contained so many inaccuracies and even outright lies” he would have done better whispering those thoughts to the US Secretary of State as opposed to documenting it in a letter.
He insisted that Marino’s letter was driven by the belief that his country remains an imperial lord over Nigeria and other nations, describing it as sentiment Nigeria must not allow.
“I therefore crave your indulgence to use your office to send a strong message to Congressman Tom Marino, the US Congress and the United States Government, that the era of imperialism is over and discussions about mutual cooperation should not be exploited to pass ignorant judgment on Nigeria or any other nation for that matter.”
He observed that the offer for assistance in the fight against insurgency is not entirely for the benefit of Nigeria since Nigeria is already winning the war against Boko Haram.
“To the extent that a Nigeria free of terrorism will contribute to a more secure world and the Americans would actually be helping themselves by offering this assistance since that country is the one in the crosshair of terrorists.
“What is saddening is the realisation that within Nigeria there is a section of the population that erroneously thinks Marino has done them the favour of providing ammunition to continue their unyielding attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. This however cannot be further from the truth as the letter is an attack on Nigeria as a country, which in Marino’s view is nothing but an outpost of the US,” Ebute added.