Atiku Blames Buhari’s Govt For US Travel Ban On Nigeria 

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the recent US travel ban against Nigeria in a series of tweets.

The former presidential candidate on the platform of the PDP in the last presidential election expressed his sadness while highlighting reasons why Trump should reverse his decision including both countries’ long-standing bilateral relations.

He wrote;

I received with sadness the policy of the government of the United States of America to place Nigeria on its travel ban list.

While I understand the reasons given by the Trump administration (the failure of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration to share information and to address issues of terrorism), the ban does not take into account the pro-American sentiments of the Nigerian public and the solidarity previous Nigerian administrations have had with the United States.

I urge the government of President Donald Trump to consider the history of US-Nigerian relationships.

Nigeria was one of the few African nations that joined the US-led coalition during Operation Desert Storm between 1990-1991 when the United States championed the liberation of Kuwait.

The Trump administration may also consider the pivotal role Nigeria, in partnership with the US, played in bringing peace to Liberia, an American sphere of influence, that now enjoys democracy because Nigerian blood and money paved the way for peace in that nation.

Nigeria has also consistently voted in support of the United States and her allies at the UN and other multilateral world bodies. This is even as we are perhaps the biggest trading partner that the United States has in Africa, even where we had alternatives.

Nigerians love the United States and have been a major force for the positive development of that great nation: 77% of all Black doctors in the United States are Nigerians,” Atiku added.

Nigerians are also the most educated immigrant community in America bar none.

Surely, the US stands to benefit if it allows open borders with a country like Nigeria that is able to provide skilled, hardworking and dedicated personnel in a two-way traffic.

The current Nigerian administration may have its deficiencies and deep faults, but the Nigeria people ought not to be punished for their inefficiencies.

Once again, I call on President Donald Trump to consider adopting measures that individually target those in government who have failed in their duties, rather than target the entire Nigerian population.

The US said it would suspend the issuance of visas that can lead to permanent residency for nationals of Nigeria, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, and Myanmar.

US TRAVEL BAN: TRUMP RESTRICTS IMMIGRATION FROM NIGERIA & 5 OTHER COUNTRIES

An official said the new measures were the result of failures by the six countries to meet US security and information-sharing standards.

“These countries, for the most part, want to be helpful but for a variety of different reasons simply failed to meet those minimum requirements that we laid out,” acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told reporters on Friday.

Photo Credit:

Atiku Abubakar  Channels TV

President Trump YURI GRIPAS / REUTERS