Olayiwola Matthew
Former Nigerian External Affairs Minister, Bolaji Akinyemi, has expressed deep concern and disappointment over what he described as an “unjustified and unfair” attempt to label Nigeria with the charge of genocide.
He warned that such allegations could have serious diplomatic and reputational consequences for the country.
In September, the U.S. State Department designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for alleged violations of religious freedom.
It also proposed sanctions on Nigerian officials accused of facilitating violence against Christians.
Speaking on the development during Channels Television’s Politics Today, on Friday, Akinyemi said it was disturbing to see Nigeria being mentioned in the same context as Israel amid accusations of genocide.
“As a Nigerian, I am depressed and upset that the charge of genocide will be levelled at my country,” he said.
“When you compare what is happening in Nigeria with what Netanyahu has done in the Middle East, to now link Nigeria and put us in the same basket as Israel and accuse us of genocide, I think it is unjustified.”
He acknowledged that while there have been disturbing incidents of violence in the Middle Belt region, they do not amount to genocide.
“It is true that there are unsavoury developments in the Middle Belt that worry us, but it doesn’t amount to genocide.
“We Nigerians must understand that there are consequences to our actions. When we run down our own country unjustifiably, we demarket our image and every Nigerian gets affected by what is said or unsaid,” he said.
He also criticised what he described as a slow and inadequate response from Nigerian authorities to the issue, urging the government to treat the matter as a national priority rather than a partisan or legislative concern.
“I don’t know why we waited for the matter to get this far into the US Congress before it became an issue of public concern in Nigeria. Before you know it, they will cancel passports, cancel visas, and when you want to run for Security Council positions, this matter will arise, and genocide will now be attached to the name and status of our country.
“The Nigerian government must take this issue seriously. This is not an issue for just the Senate versus the Senate. At the highest level, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Adviser, the matter should be taken up directly with the United States,” he said.
He further called on the National Security Adviser (NSA) to engage his counterparts in Washington to clarify Nigeria’s position and prevent potential diplomatic fallout.
“Now that the NSA is saddled with internal and domestic security affairs, maybe he should take it up at that level with his colleague in the United States and explain matters clearly,” he advised.