The United States of America has again expressed commitment to supporting Nigeria in the war against terror, saying it is optimistic and positive that Nigeria will win the war.
At the ceremony held in Abuja on Saturday to mark the US 238th independence anniversary, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, said his country was also committed to helping Nigeria achieve free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in the 2015 general elections.
“As we stand with Nigeria in its democratic journey, I want to make it clear that the assistance that we have offered over the years is in the same spirit that was offered to us by many other nations as we began our democratic journey.
“You have many friends and partners who want Nigeria to succeed and the United States stands at the front of that line,” Mr Entwistle said.
Security Partnership
He highlighted aspects that the US was partnering on with Nigeria, stressing that the US was in Nigeria to do things with Nigeria and not for Nigeria.
Giving the recent spate of kidnapping, bombing and other despicable acts of terror by a terrorist group, Boko Haram, the US envoy said that security partnership was at the forefront of his country’s work with Nigeria at the moment.
“We want Nigeria to win its war on terror and we are here to support you in that effort. It may seem that we suddenly sprang to Nigeria’s aid in the wake of the horrific Chibok girls kidnappings but the truth is that we have been working closely with you on this issue for a long time and that journey will continue.
“We see a lot of ourselves in you. We are a nation made up of many peoples who have had to figure out how to live together in peace and harmony.
“We struggled through civil war, we struggled to develop economically and reduce poverty and we struggled to ensure equal rights for all of our citizens.
He further assured Nigerians that as other countries helped his country along the way, “the United States stands with Nigeria as a friend and partner”.
The ceremony, which was held at the United States Embassy in Abuja, was attended by members of the diplomatic community and Nigerian governors, party leaders and individuals from the entertainment industry.
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