A coalition of civil societies, non governmental organizations, self determination and public interests groups under the banner of Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) today in Lagos after rising from an emergency meeting summoned to deliberate on the state of the nation, condemned in the strongest terms American President Donald Trump wrongful and at variance with reality designation of Nigeria on religious terms and the threat of invasion.
The group made it’s position known via a press release signed and made public by one of it’s leaders Nelson Ekujumi, who stated that, “As Nigerians, we are shocked, pained, insulted, abused and traumatized by the brazen, irresponsible, insensitive, provocative, reckless, bullish and condemnable designation and threat of invasion by President Donald Trump of the United States of America”.
According to the coalition, for the education and information of President Trump, “Nigeria and America share a long history of mutual friendship cooperation and assistance which does not warrant the irresponsible, reckless, disrespectful, provocative talk down on and the threat of invasion by the American President”.
The group emphasized that as at the last count from all available facts, Nigeria is an independent and sovereign nation and not a conquered territory of the US and so, “We are at a loss to rationalize or explain where in the American constitution, President Trump derived the powers or authority to issue threat of invasion and designation of Nigeria on religious lines on the basis of our security challenges”.
The coalition admonished the American President to get his facts right on the security situation in the country which is being frontally tackled by the government and security agencies because the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of its citizens, and urge him not to be misled to exhibit the character of crudity, barbarism and stone age despotism which his comment represents.
The Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) used the occasion of the press release to call on the American President not to exacerbate Nigeria’s security challenges of which every country in the world is having it’s own fair share, on the basis of religion, “because all life matters”.
Nelson Ekujumi stated that “What the Nigerian government and people needs at this critical moment of it’s political and economic re-engineering for peace, progress and prosperity by the President Bola Tinubu administration, is for the American government and other progressive countries, institutions and partners, to provide it with needed assistance, support, encouragement, cooperation and collaboration to overcome it’s challenges which are surmountable.
The group charged the American establishment to avail President Trump courses on civility, respect, responsibility of public office, sovereignty of nations, international diplomacy and democratic ethos, because of his penchant for conducts and comments unbefitting of the occupant of the White House
The coalition then demanded an unreserved public apology from President Trump to the government and people of Nigeria for his irresponsible, provocative, wrongful and condemnable designation and threat of invasion which is crude, barbaric and an assault on the sovereignty of the Nigerian State.
