Nigeria has activated diplomatic channels of communication with Washington to address the recent designation of the country as a “State of Particular Concern” by the United States, following remarks and threats issued by President Donald Trump.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
The Minister emphasised that “the killing of a single Nigerian remains a grave concern to the Nigerian Government, he reaffirmed that Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to freely practice their religion without hindrance.
Idris said; “The designation of Nigeria as the country of particular concern, was raised by the United States government. Yes, indeed, that came up during deliberations at the Federal Executive Council meeting, but the most important thing that I want to say is that the government of Nigeria is responding to the genuine concerns raised.
“The politics of it, aside, we genuinely are taking the issues seriously, but let me also say that government, even before these events of the last few days, has been extremely committed to ensuring that Nigeria is indeed safe for everyone.”
“The killing of even one Nigerian citizen is of concern to the government of Nigeria, and of course, because our constitution, and we keep mentioning this, guarantees the right of everyone to worship his or her religion without hindrance. The government of Nigeria is committed to that, will continue to do that, and wherever there is any violence affecting any citizen in this country, the government of Nigeria has the responsibility to ensure that it is tackled.
“Now, as to whether that affects the way government is being run, let me say that the government of Nigeria is really very stable. The president is calm, as we have said. He is calm. The Federal Executive Council members are indeed very calm,“ he said.
Idris reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the constitutional right of every citizen to live and worship freely, pledging that decisive measures will continue to be taken against any act of violence to safeguard the lives and security of all Nigerians.
He said; “That is not to discount the issue. Are there issues of security in this country? Yes, there are. Are people being killed in parts of this country? Yes. But is there anything government – is there anything that government is doing to also checkmate that? Yes, indeed there are. Is the government also responding to this? Yes, it is. But this is being done with the greatest sense of responsibility while maintaining the balance that we require to face these issues head-on.
“Now, to recap, yes, government is responding to some of these issues in a manner that will also reflect who we are as a country, maintaining our respect and dignity as a country, and also welcoming the partnership that we so dearly need from everyone, the international community from within, to tackle this issue.”
“The issues of terrorism, violence from extremists, it’s not something that is just done by one country.
“We have porous borders and that is why we have cooperation with our regional partners. We also have cooperation with international partners, including the United States and Nigeria will continue to engage. Now, have we had any discussions with the government of the United States? Yes. Channels have been opened. We prefer that this situation be solved diplomatically,” Idris said.
The Minister of Information further promised that the Nigerian Government is not in a state of panic but is responding with calm, responsibility, and in the national interest.
He reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a nation deeply rooted in religious tolerance and continues to engage constructively with both domestic and international partners to address any concerns surrounding its human rights and security record.
Idris said; “We don’t want to escalate the rhetoric you have said, we have said, and all that. The responsibility that we have as a government is to ensure that whatever genuine concerns there are to keep our citizens safe, the Nigerian government will continue to do so.”
“But there is no panic mode here. We are responding responsibly, steadily, and in the interest of our country also taking into account the concerns both from within and outside this country about what the situation is. But let me say for the umpteenth time, Nigeria is a country that has tolerance for religion,” the Minister added