The American government has urged its Nigerian counterpart and other partners to redouble efforts at ending the humanitarian crisis in...
The American government has urged its Nigerian counterpart and other partners to redouble efforts at ending the humanitarian crisis in the insurgency-ravaged North-East geopolitical zone.
Nigeria is oil-rich and is the largest exporter of crude in Africa. Yet majority of its citizens are poor, living on less than a dollar a day, mainly due to corruption and misgovernance.
Reports recently emerged from the North-East that starvation deaths had become rampant in some Internally Displaced Persons camps in the region.
Mr. Entwistle, who spoke at the 240th United States Independence Anniversary celebration cocktail party in Abuja, said there was an urgent need to arrest the situation, and that his country was willing to help.
Mr. Entwistle, who said the U.S. government was offering technical assistance to Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies for the training of investigators and prosecutors, said he looked forward to more partnership for the freedom of all Nigerians.
“Not just the political freedom you exercised last year, but freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom from sickness, and freedom from corruption,” the envoy said. “The last election was tremendous democratic success, not only for Nigeria, but the growth of democracy across Africa.
“The United States stands with every Nigerian who believes that Nigeria can be healthier, safer, and more prosperous,” he said.
On the economy, the envoy said Nigeria was now headed in the right direction on issues like fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange rate, urging government to continue to create an environment that would attract more foreign investments.
The biggest U.S. companies in Nigeria, he said, had been here for decades, pointing out that it was important for government to maintain an environment that would attract more foreign investments to the country.
“As you continue privatization of the power grid, through President Obama’s Power Africa initiative, we stand ready to, among other things, help companies invest in building more electricity infrastructure, especially environmentally-friendly power generation.
“As you increase your commitment to healthcare and education, we support those efforts too,” he assured.
Mr. Entwistle, whose tour of duty of U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, comes to an end this July ending, described his stay in Nigeria as a fascinating time, saying he would be leaving with a great sense of hope and optimism, especially with a truly inspiring experience with young Nigerians with energy and dynamism.
For the umpteenth time, Mr. Entwistle said he had nothing to say about his controversial letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, over allegations of sexual misconduct preferred against three members of the House while on official trip to the U.S. a few months ago.
At the end of his assignment in Nigeria, Mr. Entwistle said he would be retiring from the U.S.
