Nigeria threatens to sever ties with America

As controversy and anger continue to trail the listing of Nigeria as one of the 10 countries on the United States of America's top security watch list, the Senate has threatened to severe diplomatic relations with the country if by next week, it fails to remove Nigeria from the list of countries "of interest" for terrorism.

The Senate said this through its spokesperson, Ayogu Eze. He told National Assembly reporters on Tuesday in Abuja, "We are very unhappy about the development and when we resume, we are going to take this matter very seriously if America has not taken Nigeria's name off that list."

The U.S., through its Transport Security Administration (TSA), on Sunday announced the inclusion of Nigeria on the list of countries that are considered "of interest" (with regards to terrorism) based on its latest terrorism intelligence. Also included in the list with Nigeria are Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen.

Mr. Eze, who told reporters that he was talking on behalf of the Senate president, said, "For them (America) to embarrass the entire country with this type of classification without justification is totally unacceptable. The American president himself clearly admitted that this was a failure of system and the manpower of Americans. I don't see how Nigerians come in there and moreover this is just one instance of a Nigerian who it is clearly established had no links with any fundamentalist group or any interest group within Nigeria, not even with his own parents."

Failure of intelligence

He added, "This was a boy whose disappearance was reported to the security agencies, the American authorities and all the relevant authorities; and America did nothing. For them to turn round and punish Nigerians for the sin of an isolated case like this is very unacceptable to the Nigerian government and unacceptable to the Nigerian Senate."

He said the Senate has also watched with keen interest several other breaches that have taken place in the American system even before the alleged attempted terror attack by the Nigerian. He cited the issue of the uninvited guest who beat White House security to crash a party organised in honour of the Indian president. "That was not a Nigerian. Americans should look inwards and search their soul; something is wrong with their system and they should not punish ordinary Nigerians, who are very law-abiding and good international citizens for the failure and irresponsibility of American citizens. Nigeria will not take that."

A word for America

Mr. Eze offered an advice to the superpower, "We also want to advise America that it is in their own interest to ensure that they conduct this matter in a manner that will not result in a diplomatic row between America and Nigeria. It will be most unfair, given the kind of relationship that has existed between America and Nigeria for America to jump to this type of conclusion without even adequate consultation with all the authorities. This is not acceptable to us and we are going to do whatever we can as a nation to prove to America that we will not take this. This is not how diplomacy is conducted and we are going to engage all our diplomatic gears to ensure that we either have a relationship with America or we don't."

It has been widely reported that since the December 25 incident involving a Nigerian, many Nigerians have been subjected to dehumanising treatments and body searches by American security officials. This, Mr. Eze observed, "Must be stopped immediately. Do they think America is the only country that has citizens the country is responsible to?" he asked.

"We also have citizens and we are responsible for them and we will not wait and allow Nigerians to be molested wherever they go," Mr. Eze said.

The listing of Nigeria in the ‘countries of interest list' means, all NIgerian passengers as well as those whose flights originate from Nigeria will be subjected to full body and hand luggage searches. Analysts have also said foreign investors are likely to be wary of investing in the country as a result of the listing.