Republican Congressman Tom Marino, has written a letter to John Kerry, US
secretary of state, urging his country to withhold the assistance rendered
to Nigeria based on the “autocratic tendencies” of President Muhammadu
Buhari.
In the letter, which THISDAY said it exclusively obtained, Marino claimed
that there were a number of warning signs emerging in the current
administration.
He also expressed concern over Nigeria’s anti-corruption war, saying “of
additional concern is President Buhari’s selective anti-corruption drive,
which has focused almost exclusively on members of the opposition party,
over-looking corruption amongst some of Buhari’s closest advisors.
Politicising his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced hostility
among southerners”.
He asked the state department to refrain from selling warplanes and other
military equipment to Nigeria until Buhari establishes a track record of
working towards inclusion.
“I am encouraged by the personal interest you have taken in aiding Nigeria
and its administration as it takes on endemic corruption, multiple
insurgent movements, and a faltering economy. However, I believe there are
a number of warning signs emerging in the Buhari administration that
signal ‘the man who once led Nigeria as a military dictator might be
sliding towards former autocratic tendencies,” the letter read.
“I would urge the US to withhold its security assistance to the nation
until President Buhari demonstrates a commitment to inclusive government
and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of
speech. A logical start towards this commitment is for the Nigerian
government to hold accountable those members of the Nigerian Police Force
and the Nigerian military complicit in extra-judicial killings and war
crimes.
“Human rights groups like Amnesty International have widely documented
torture, inhumane treatment, and extra-judicial killings of defenseless
Nigerians since President Buhari took office.”
Quoting Amnesty International Report, he wrote, “in the last six months,
Nigeria’s military has unlawfully killed at least 350 people and allowed
more than 168 people, including babies and children, to die in military
detention.”
“The Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State even admitted to burying
347 of those killed in a mass grave. And while President Buhari promised
swift condemnation, his words rang empty. Instead of swift reforms, Buhari
chose to reinstate Major General Ahmadu Mohammed, who Amnesty
International revealed was in charge of the Nigerian military unit that
executed more than 640 unarmed, former detainees.
“Also, in separate incidents concerning the Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB), the Nigerian Army has killed at least 36 – the real number is
likely higher – people since December 2015 in an attempt to silence
opposition and quell attempts by the group to gather publicly.”
Describing Buhari as a former military dictator whose reign (as military
head of state) was cut short by a coup, he said the president has
continually shunned inclusivity in favour of surrounding himself with
advisors and ministers from the north of the country and the region he
considers home.
“Of President Buhari’s 122 appointees, 77 are from the north and control
many of the key ministries and positions of power. Distrust is already
high in Nigeria and favouring Northerners for key appointments has only
antagonized the issue,” he wrote.
“These appointments are also primarily Muslim in the north and Christian
in the south.
“Of additional concern is President Buhari’s selective anti-corruption
drive, which has focused almost exclusively on members of the opposition
party, over-looking corruption amongst some of Buhari’s closest advisors.
Politicising his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced hostility
among southerners.”
He said the Obama administration would advance justice by urging the
Nigerian government to act decisively to hold accountable members of the
police and military.
“The State Department should urge President Buhari to form a government
that represents the diversity of its citizens and allows dissenting voices
to be heard. Democracy can thrive only if people are free to assemble, to
express their beliefs, and voice their concerns,” he wrote.