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James
Entwistle, U.S Ambassador to Nigeria
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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.
Media report continues:
The
outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, said more needed to be
done on the humanitarian front particularly as Nigerians were dying of
starvation in their own country.
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.
“As
you fight Boko Haram and secure and rebuild the Northeast, and you strive for
harmony in the Niger Delta and across the land, we will continue to help in
every appropriate way,” the ambassador said.
“Indeed,
let us redouble our efforts on the humanitarian front in the Northeast.
Nigerians are dying of starvation in Nigeria.”
The
ambassador said the Obama administration remained committed to standing with
Nigeria in its fight against corruption, particularly by ensuring no stolen
funds are laundered through the American banking system.
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.
He
described the outcome of last year’s presidential elections as historic, and a
demonstration of commitment to democracy, saying Nigeria’s future belonged to
all Nigerian people, especially “Nigeria’s heroes – men and women who are brave
enough to believe that they can change the world.”
“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 told reporters 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. Foreign Service at the end of the month after 35 and a half years.
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