To remove a fly from a friend's forehead, never use a hatchet.
African Proverb.
Dear Citizens of United States of America,
I
have taken this unusual step to write to you directly as citizens of
the United States of American on behalf of the people of Nigeria. I hope
that this message
will strengthen the bonds between citizens of two countries with major
responsibilities for the state of our increasingly interdependent
world. I also draw confidence from the knowledge that your leaders will
view this friendly intrusion in a positive light,
particularly in the light of recent developments in our relations when
we also received direct and useful advise and messages of solidarity and
encouragement from leaders of your great country.
I
address you at a time when Nigerians nurture very warm and positive
memories of the role of the government and citizens of the United
States. We cherish the historic
support of your government in ensuring that our last elections made
history in many respects, being the most peaceful in our history,
producing a credible result and the unprecedented defeat of an
administration. The US stood by the people of Nigeria, Africa’s
largest democracy, to break a vicious circle of rigged elections that
produced incompetent and insensitive leaders. We owe your nation
immeasurable gratitude for helping our nation to safely cross over a
critical set of challenges, and today our two nations
collaborate on the search for an end to a most vicious insurgency
because we have earned global trust. At this moment, we share with you
the search for global security and peace and a world that shares its
wealth and reduces want and desperation.
Your nation had stood
and marched with Africa during most of its trying moments. We have told
many of our younger generations of your record in assisting our
decolonization
and anti-Apartheid struggles. Your businesses and governments have
reached out to our enterprenuers and our communities, investing and
participating in developing our productive capacities. Our nation has
the biggest economy in Africa, and is one of the leading
trading partners of the US. We see US economic interests in all sectors
of our economy, and the growth and development of our two economies
have become intricately linked with each others’ fortunes. The US is
home and residence to one of the largest black
and African populations in the world, and your nation is home to
millions of Nigerians contributing to your economy, while representing a
tremendous asset to our nation.
As you will be aware,
your presidential elections scheduled to hold in November, 2016 are of
immense significance to the world. Nigeria and Africa have very high
expectations
that this election will raise the bar for democratic governance already
at a level your nation should be proud of. Your current President is
son of an African student, a great American whom you voted into office
on his merit. His election for two terms earned
you new respect in Africa. You will therefore appreciate why we expect
that the President who succeeds him will continue to inspire Africa and
the world.
Nigerians
watch the processes leading to the emergence of candidates and the
elections themselves with interests that are far more profound than
curiousity. Given
our history and experiences with political violence and tendencies
which detract from free and fair elections, we are anxious that your
elections will be conducted without violence or other acts that will
damage your credentials as a leading democratic nation.
We worry when a candidate threatens that his supporters will riot if he
fails to win nomination. We agonize over allegations over
delegates-tampering. We are concerned over rhetoric that offends
sensitivities and charts a course that is entirely inconsistent
with the history and records of the United States in international
relations.
Nigerians have labored
for a long stretch of our history to produce leaders on the basis of
credible elections. This has imposed upon us the obligation to respect
the rights of all people to freely elect leaders. Ultimately, the next
President of the United States will be the product only of your
collective will. As friends with a major stake in the manner the United
State relates with the world, however, it is our
duty to offer advise on some issues that are likely to affect the
outcome of the contest. Nigerians share with United State citizens a
major burden in the fight against global terror, a substantial element
of which claims to draw inspiration from Islam. Our
contribution to all the contests currently under way is to advise
against creating more enemies for the United State and the rest of the
world by making terrorist monsters out of every Muslim. The world’s
Muslim population is overwhelmingly opposed to terror.
An enlightened and constructive approach with all peoples, faiths and
nations is central to the ability of the US and other nations of the
world to overcome this global threat, and avoid alienating critical
allies.
There are concerns in
Nigeria that the large population of our citizens in the US are being
singled out and portrayed in very negative light in some debates and
campaigns.
Remarks which hint at limiting gains and opportunities arising
from global movement of labour and capital are being noted with some
concern here in Nigeria and Africa. At a time when the world is having
to adjust to severe economic challenges, these sentiments
fail to do justice to a United States that has led the world through
solving many of its limiting challenges. On the whole, we share the
concerns of billions of people across the globe who are uncomfortable
with prospects of a U.S that will create its own
space without due respect and regards for friends and allies, as well
as the possibility that hostile interests will respond in a manner that
makes the world a lot less secure, competitive and compassionate.
As you will know,
Nigeria is going through a major transition. It is a year since our
historic elections which gave our nation renewed confidence that we can
change
its course on the strength of its own people and the support of our
friends. We are involved in charting a course for a future in which
accountable leadership is the norm; corruption is removed from public
offices; the poor share in the wealth of our tremendous
national resources, and the wealthy are safe to enjoy their wealth. We
are making major strides to destroy the Boko Haram insurgency. Our plans
are affected by challenging economic fortunes in the short term, but we
have a vision of a great future in which
our productive capacities and processes for sharing our wealth will be
isolated from massive dislocations and uncertainties.
As
Nigerians, we cherish our deep relationships with citizens of the
United States on many levels. We have faith in the capacity of citizens
of the United State to
exercise choices that best suit their interests. These interests
include the manner our world operates, as well as the global perception
that as a global leader, a future President of the United State will
represent the best and most noble of the democratic
traditions of the United States.
On behalf of the people of Nigeria, I wish you very peaceful congresses and elections.
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