By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has decried United States President, Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), saying “it is a fatally flawed move capable of slowing down the ongoing war against terrorism and insurgency.”
This is the second time the US under a Trump government would be taking such action against Nigeria over perceived genocide against Nigerian Christians.
However, in a statement signed by its chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, TMSG maintained that the claims did not accurately reflect the true situation in Nigeria.
It said: “While we await full details of the decision announced by the United States President Donald Trump and its implications, like many Nigerians, we see the move as wrong, ill-conceived and fatally flawed.
”This is because the decision was predicated on a misleading claim of lack of religious freedom as well as a deliberate attempt to exterminate the Christian population under the watch of President Bola Tinubu.
”In the announcement made via his social media handle, Trump wrote that ‘Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria’, which echoed what some US Congressmen leading the advocacy had been saying.
”But like the federal government and faith-based platforms had stridently argued, such claims are a gross mischaracterisation and an oversimplification of the security challenges the country had been battling since 2009.
”We are aware that there are people within the country who reignited the claim of genocide against Christians on political grounds, we expected the US government to take a broader view by considering Nigeria’s honest position before taking a decision that we believe will certainly kiss the dust as it once did.
”It is a fact that the US action could lead to the suspension of arms sales to Nigeria because it was one of the specific demands by the right-wing US legislators who were leading the so-called genocide campaign.
”One of them who was name-checked by Trump in his announcement had specifically called for a halt to arms sales until the Nigerian government demonstrates a ‘tangible commitment ‘ to ending the violence.
“It is also important for the US authorities to note that President Bola Tinubu, in a fresh shake-up, has ensured that Christians clearly dominate the top hierarchy of Nigeria’s military, security and intelligence architecture.
” It therefore amounts to standing truth on its head to peddle claims that state-sponsored Christian genocide exists in Nigeria.
”We also recall that the US President had, in 2020, during his first term, designated Nigeria as a CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, on the grounds of what his administration called “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.
”But the decision was later reversed in 2021 by former President Joe Biden, whose administration rightly noted that although Nigeria faced severe security challenges, the government was not “directly engaged” in religious persecution.
”We know, as has been extensively canvassed by many, that Nigeria’s security is a complex subject, and has always been the character of the insecurity in Northern Nigeria which the Tinubu administration had been making efforts to resolve through kinetic and non-kinetic initiatives.”
TMSG seized the occasion to lash out at opposition elements for seeking to make political capital of the situation.
”Like many people, we are convinced that some opposition figures in the country were part of the odious advocacy even when they know that terrorist groups wreaking havoc in Northern Nigeria have been targeting Muslims and Christians in the worst hit areas.
”We also note that there are some other members of the political class who have carefully stayed away from commenting on the issue especially as they do not want to be seen to be on the wrong side of the Muslim population.
”But it is clear that the silence of opposition figures who almost always have something to say on every negative national issue is telling.
”For us, it is rather unfortunate that at a time when the political class should be united on an issue with likely consequences on national security, members of the opposition are hoping that they could use it to their advantage.
”We therefore urge Nigerians who are scandalised by the designation to take notice of those who would not mind the country being brought down as long as it would help their bid for political power,” the statement added.
TMSG, however, urged the Tinubu administration as well as the military, security and intelligence authorities to be undeterred in their efforts to clear the country of terrorists and insurgents.
