Public Affairs Officer of the US Consulate in Lagos Stephen Ibelli acknowledged the Federal Government’s struggle in handling the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nigeria.
“The core of the US Mission’s partnership with the Nigerian government is to counter the security threats,” Mr Ibelli said at the Nigeria Info’s 2021 Security Summit.
“The security issues in north-east Nigeria has become one of the world’s most complex humanitarian crises due to the fact that more than 350,000 people have been killed since 2009, while about three million people have been displaced across the Lake Chad Basin.”
Mr Ibelli added that the US government would continue its commitment to aid Nigeria in defence and security aspects.
“The United States Agency for International Development, USAID, has been coordinating the US humanitarian response as well as helping to rebuild basic civic institutions essential to re-establishing civil and social life in the hardest-hit states within northern Nigeria.”
“The US is the largest humanitarian donor in response to the north-east crisis, providing $1.45 billion (about N594,8 billion) since 2015 and supporting almost two million conflict-affected households,” he added.
In the same event, former 2015 presidential candidate of the KOWA Party Professor Remi Sonaiya spoke on the importance of electing the right leaders to guarantee equal development in all aspects.
“We should ensure we elect people of integrity and sound moral character who, by their speech and example of their sound moral lives, will inspire us all to greatness and ensure prosperity for all,” said Professor Sonaiya.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a work of fiction but that fictional work is happening for real in Nigeria. The ghost of mr Kurtz is stalking the whole country. Nigeria’s politicians behave like demolition squad going around destroying all the good things in the country. How can you explain the situation when it is stone age roads all over Nigeria. The money which would have been used to repair and build roads in Nigeria is being used to go and build modern railway in another country which is the Republic of Niger. Beat that for madness.