United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Rene Sanders, has called on Nigerian authorities to take decisive steps to address extremists from outside the country, who according to her, have footholds in Nigeria.
This, she said, would help to put Nigeria’s complaints of being listed as a ‘country of interest’ in proper perspective.Sanders said this while addressing the Petroleum Club in Lagos, yesterday, where she acknowledged that Nigerians were outraged by the attempted 2009 Christmas day bombing of a U.S. airliner by a Nigerian, Farouk Abdulmutalab, who is currently standing trial for the attack.She said although Nigeria is taking steps to ‘redeem its image’ which include cooperating with U.S. on investigation and signing an agreement to allow U.S. air marshals on U.S. bound flights from Nigeria, there is need for the passage of a counter-terrorism legislation to protect the country. “No country today is immuned from global terrorism or efforts of global terrorists to operate in their country.
America is not, and neither is Nigeria.“I think that the complain needs to be put in perspective. You do have outside extremists that have a foothold here in Nigeria and your energies need to be focused on addressing that issue, more so than having to take your shoes off twice or being asked additional questions,” Sanders said.
In her address, Sanders called on Nigerians to support Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure the stability of democracy in the ‘uncertain times’.She expressed U.S. support for Nigeria as “you decide as a nation how to address the issues at hand, from the dignity for an ailing President to reports that a small group is being less than transparent about his status.”Sanders reiterated that corruption remains a major impediment to Nigeria’s development, adding that combating it would take a long term commitment from the government and the private sector.