The United States (US) on Friday said that though Nigeria might be in a challenging time, there is no sign that it will break up in 2015 as asserted in some quarters.
US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle who spoke on a live interview monitored in Abuja predicted that the country was gradually moving forward to a very bright future.
He said: “It is a ridiculous assertion. Here we are sitting in Nigeria in 2015, do any of you see any signs of this country breaking up? I don’t. I see Nigeria in a challenging time, nonetheless gradually moving forward to a very bright future and the United States looks forward to working with you towards that bright future. When I spend time with young Nigerians, I can’t help but have a strong optimism about this country.”
Speaking on the forthcoming general election, the Ambassador assured that his country would continue to provide support to Nigeria in its election process.
He also asserted that “in a democratic election there is no place for violence.
“Every time I call on a politician or a candidate in this country, I ask him or her if they will publicly take a non-violence pledge on camera. Commit themselves to not fomenting or condoning violence before, during or after the elections.
“I have been very happy to see that Nigerian civil society, Nigerian media and entertainers like 2Face with his ‘vote, not fight’ campaign has picked up this project.
“The accountability aspect of this is crucial.
“I believe in the democracy and I have observed elections around the world and there is no place for violence.
“One thing I have observed as a key benchmark in democratic rule in any country is when the loser comes out to accept results.
“We can make violence unacceptable in public arena.”
While also expressing optimism that the election would be credible, the Ambassador also called on Nigerians to support the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“The US supports Nigerian people in the election. We support the process rather than any outcome of the process,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment