Former Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, has called on the Federal Government to urgently engage the United States government to correct what he described as dangerous misconceptions over Nigeria’s inclusion on the list of countries of particular concern.
Speaking in Abuja, Ndume said the government should have taken early diplomatic steps after US Congressman Riley Moore first raised similar allegations months ago. He said the delay allowed false impressions about Nigeria’s religious situation to grow unchecked.
“I had alerted the government. I even moved a motion. Nigeria is a sovereign state. It’s not about what the United States can do to us, but about the misconception and the ripple effects of classifying us as a country of concern,” he said.
The senator added that the Federal Government must present verifiable data to show that terrorism in Nigeria targets all citizens, not only Christians.
“We should engage the American government by presenting facts and figures. Muslims have been killed too. The genocide isn’t against Christians but Nigerians generally,” Ndume said.
He urged the government to involve respected diplomats such as Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Babagana Kingibe, Prof. Sulu Gambari and Amina Mohammed in leading the dialogue with Washington.
