US Sending Army To Nigeria For Fight Against Boko Haram

Indications have emerged that the United States’ government is sending arms to the Nigerian military in its efforts to crush Boko Haram.

Facts that the US is sending arms to Nigeria came on the heels of the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle’s revelation in an interview with one of our correspondents that the US government never placed arms embargo on Nigeria.

“There’s been a lot of misunderstanding on this issue before, during and after President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Washington. Let me be clear about a couple of things. One, we had worked very closely with Nigeria on the Leahy Amendment….The second piece of misinformation, which has been bandied about in (newspapers’) headlines, is that the US has lifted its arms embargo on Nigeria. There was never an arms embargo,” Entwistle said.

According to Radio France Internationale, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency records show that the country’s Department of Defence is set to transfer military material to Nigeria.

Punch

US Ambassador To Nigeria Visits Fashola (Photos)

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Janes Entwistle paid a courtesy visit to former Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola, at his home in Lagos recently. Another

Nigerian dad sends US-born teen sons to Nigeria to learn gratitude

Their dad is Nigerian, who relocated to the US and married a white American. When his sons turned 14, he decided to send them to Nigeria (where they've never been) to experience the culture and learn gratitude. Quite interesting. Read below..meanwhile, can more parents in the US do this?

A dad wanting his twin teen sons, accustomed to the comforts of the country club, to learn some gratitude took an unusual step. He sent the 14-year-olds to spend the seventh grade in Nigeria.
The boys, Noble and Evan Nwankwo, spent seventh grade at Mea Mater Elizabeth High School in Enugu, southern Nigeria. There, the day starts with 5 a.m. exercise and prayer, and continues with a 12-subject course load. There’s no help from mom on homework or washing clothes, either.


“Adversity is important in somebody’s development in life, as far as I’m concerned, because there comes a time when the storm is going to hit you, and if you never had that to fall back on you’re just going to fall apart,” Evans Nwankwo, the father, said. “I strongly believe that because it’s been important in my own development.”

Nwankwo was born and raised in Nigeria. He was one of 13 children. The family was well off. Then, the Nigerian Civil War broke out and they were running for safety and scrambling for food, and his father was killed.

He eventually made it to the U.S. and built a business. People around Cincinnati probably know Nwankwo’s work – his construction company is the go-to contractor that has worked on sites including Fountain Square, the Freedom Center and Washington Park.

As the boys were getting ready to go, things in Africa were looking bad. The Ebola outbreak was making headlines, as were attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram on schools in northern Nigeria.
The elder Nwankwo said he had “a lot of apprehension as they were getting ready to go, a lot of anxiety.”

The boys had other concerns.

“I hope I’m not as lazy as I am now,” Noble said before leaving for Nigeria.
It looks like Noble got his wish. Besides being responsible for their studies, basic necessities like water required work to obtain.

“It was kind of eye-opening to see how much you actually have to work to get a simple bucket of water, and how you actually have to use your own strength to carry it back and forth,” Noble said. “And it’s actually pretty tough to hand-wash your clothes with that amount of water. You have to really manage it.”

“You have to be trekking all over the school just to get water to bathe with… Here you can just turn on the tap and there’ll be water flowing like it’s nothing,” Evan said. “There, you’ll, be struggling for it. Sometimes we would go without water for a couple days.”

Since returning, their dad said he’s already seen a change in his boys.

“I feel that the experience is one that will live with them forever, and they will be forever changed – maybe not on the immediate, but long term.”
Evan and Noble agreed.

“I appreciate the washing machine. I appreciate the running water. I appreciate the shower, so I don’t have to use a bucket of water in a bowl,” Noble said. “I appreciate my electronics. I appreciate my parents a lot more because I realize how much – especially my dad – I really realize how much he had to do to get here.”

Besides the actual experience, they said their dad taught them a lot as well.

“He’s taught me a lot, and he’s made me go through a lot to make me a better person, to make me a person that can just endure,” Evan said.

The trip may turn into a family tradition. Evans said he was going to put aside some money so any future grandchildren can also spend a year in Nigeria.

Source: WCPO

See the Unique Way US Police Now Use In Taking Down Drug Dealers

Police in Kentucky, came up with a unique way to catch drug dealers by using their competition to rat them out.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has published flyers, asking drug dealers to report their rivals.

Police posted the notice on its Facebook page. The notice tells drug dealers that police will work with them to destroy their competition.

The flyers features an image of a marijuana leaf and reads: “Is your drug dealing competition costing you money? We offer a free service to help you eliminate your drug competition!”

Pat Melton of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, said that the flyer is funny, but the department is not kidding.

At the bottom of the flyer, people are asked to complete the information on the drug dealer such as their address, phone number, vehicle the dealer is driving and the hours of operation.

The post has been shared more the 2,450 times.

In a Facebook comment, police wrote: “Ludacris you say? Arrests have been made as a result of information received.”

Buhari brought N2.7trn investments from US visit – Presidency

An estimated N2.7 trillion ($13.6 billion) worth of direct investment is part of the immediate benefits accruing from President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent state visit to the United States, the Presidency claimed yesterday.

The presidency also affirmed that the visit cost the Nigerian treasury less than N220 million contrary to assertions in some sections of the media. It further explained that President Buhari’s son, Yusuf, did not receive any estacode for the trip even as it contended that great savings were made by members of the delegation against previous visits.

The five governors who were in the delegation, the presidency said, paid their way while permanent secretaries and other senior government officials only received their entitlements.


In a statement, yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said besides the economic benefits, plans were already in motion to lift hindrances to the flow of military support for Nigeria’s war against insurgents in the North-East.The presidency’s explanations followed news reports in some sections of the media that the visit was wasteful, cost N2.2 billion and was not in anyway beneficial.

Some immediate benefits

According to him, “some of the more immediate benefits of the President’s trip to the US include: the proposed $2.1 billion fund from the World Bank for the re-development of the northeast battered by Boko Haram; $5 billion from US investors in Nigeria’s agriculture sector; $1.5 billion investment in the Nigerian’s health sector; and another $5 billion investment from the US in our country’s power sector.

“Also, as things stand, the embargo on weapons sales to Nigeria is in the process of being removed. The trip to the US by President Buhari was definitely very successful and beneficial to Nigeria. Only those rabidly determined to find faults unnecessarily will cook up falsehood in a futile effort to rake up murk where none exists.

“It is very sad that in this age of free-flowing information and in this era of change, a media organisation would make itself available as a vehicle to peddle a lie of such low and ignominious quality.

“Contrary to the newspaper’s assertions, the total cost of the trip to the Nigerian taxpayer was at the most minimal, in line with the policy of this administration to cut waste and extravagance.

Buhari’s son didn’t receive estacode, govs paid their way

“In point of fact, the total amount expended on the trip by the office of the President amounted to nothing near 10 per cent of the speculated figure.

“Owing to the free accommodation provided by the host government, all the personal staff who accompanied the President on the trip received reduced allowances.

“His son, Yusuf, received neither allowances nor estacode. The five governors on the trip each paid their way. Permanent Secretaries who travelled on the delegation did so in accordance with extant rules and none of them exceeded their estacode entitlements.

“Apart from the Nigerian pilot’s mischievous mathematics, it is shortsighted and misleading of the newspaper to have claimed that President Buhari’s trip to the US achieved nothing.



Vanguard

Nigerian Man Beats His mother To Death

A Nigerian man living in the United States has been charged with murder after his mother was found dead at her Regency Park apartment in Texas USA.

Dr Hauwa Esther Kadima, 61, was found dead on July 28 after officers received a call from her son Daniel Basor Kadima, 31, alerting them of a person believed to be dead at her apartment

Daniel called 911 about 9 a.m. July 28 and told dispatchers he was calling to report a death, according to the warrant, which was released Monday. When asked when he had last seen the deceased, he responded “yesterday,” police said. Kadima identified himself but did not say the
victim’s name or the nature of their relationship.

According to the warrant, when he was asked what had happened, Kadima responded, “My duty is just to call in and let you know.”

Officers say they arrived and found Hauwa Kadima lying on the floor next to a broken wooden chair. Initial autopsy findings showed she had fractures to her skull, with laceration of the brain because of blunt impact to the head. Daniel had beaten her to death with the chair.

Kadima is being held in the Gregg County Jail. His total bond is set at $100,005,500.

In a sworn affidavit filed in the Gregg County District Clerk's Office, Daniel's ex-wife recounted past assaults and abuse from him, including four years ago when he allegedly head-butted her, breaking one of her teeth and busting her lip. She said he also would take her keys and lock her outside their apartment, but also restrain her when she wanted to leave their home. He also had video cameras installed in their marital home, video recording their daughter.

"He eventually had a mental breakdown and was arrested multiple times," the ex-wfe said in the affidavit. "He was committed to a mental health facility."

Mrs Hauwa's friends described her as a devout Christian, and well-educated with degrees from Wheaton College. They say she had a vision for her native Nigeria.

"She had a passion for wanting to start a school back in her hometown. She didn't go back to fulfill her dream," Rev. Mary Collier says.

Cost Of Pres. Buhari's Trip To The US Highly Exxagerated - Presidency

Press statement from the presidency...

Our attention has been drawn to an editorial published in the Nigerian Pilot of August 2, 2015 and an earlier report in which the total cost of President Muhammadu Buhari's recent trip to the U.S. was estimated at N2.2 billion. It is very sad that in this age of free-flowing information and in this era of change, a media organisation would make itself available as a vehicle to peddle a lie of such low and ignominious quality.
Contrary to the newspaper's assertions, the total cost of the trip to the Nigerian taxpayer was at the most minimal, in line with the policy of this administration to cut waste and extravagance. In point of fact, the total amount expended on the trip by the Office of the Presidentamounted to nothing near ten per cent of the speculated figure.
Owing to the free accommodation provided by the host government, all the personal staff who accompanied the President on the trip received reduced allowances. His son, Yusuf, received neither allowances nor estacode. The five Governors on the trip each paid his own way. Permanent Secretaries who traveled on the delegation did so in accordance with extant rules and none of them exceeded their estacode entitlements. Apart from the Nigerian Pilot's mischievous mathematics, it is shortsighted and misleading of the newspaper to have claimed that President Buhari's trip to the U.S. achieved nothing. Nigerian-US relations had suffered severely over the past few years.
That relationship has now been reset. The benefits of this symbiotic relationship will become more and more evident as the Buhari administration continues to tackle the challenges of corruption, security and the economy. Some of the more immediate benefits of the President's trip to the U.S include: the proposed $2.1 billion fund from the World Bank for the re-development of the northeast battered by Boko Haram; $5 billion from US investors in Nigeria's agriculture sector; $1.5 billion investment in the Nigerian health sector; and another $5 billion investment from the U.S. in our country's power sector. Also, as things stand at the moment, the embargo on the sale of weapons sales to Nigeria is in the process of being removed.
The trip to the U.S by President Buhari was definitely very successful and beneficial to Nigeria. Only those rabidly determined to find faults unnecessarily will cook up falsehood in a futile effort to rake up murk where none exists. Garba Shehu Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) August 5, 2015

American Dentist Killed Famous Zimbabwean Lion, PETA Calls For Extradition

Animal rights organisation PETA said it wants to see Walter Palmer, the American dentist who hunted and shot dead Zimbabwe's beloved lion Cecil, "extradited, charged and preferably hanged".
Palmer released a statement on Tuesday saying he "had no idea" Cecil was a local favourite until the end of the hunt, which took place on July 1. The 13-year-old lion was found beheaded and skinned outside Hwange National Park, after being lured out of the borders with bait.

The lion, who had a distinctive black mane, was collared as part of an Oxford University study which has been ongoing since 1999, and was protected inside the park.

Palmer reportedly paid 50,000 US dollars (£32,000) to guides so that he could carry out the killing. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said Palmer tied a dead animal to a car to lure the lion out of the national park before shooting him with a crossbow. The wounded lion was tracked down 40 hours later and shot dead by Palmer's group.

Cecil's six cubs are now expected to be killed by the next lion in the hierarchy, to prevent them mating.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said:

"Hunting is a coward’s pastime. If, as has been reported, this dentist and his guides lured Cecil out of the park with food so as to shoot him on private property, because shooting him in the park would have been illegal, he needs to be extradited, charged, and, preferably, hanged.

To get a thrill at the cost of a life, this man gunned down a beloved lion, Cecil with a high-powered weapon. All wild animals are beloved by their own mates and infants, but to hunters like this overblown, over-privileged little man, who lack empathy, understanding, and respect for living creatures, they are merely targets to kill, decapitate, and hang up on a wall as a trophy.

The photograph of this dentist, smiling over the corpse of another animal, who, like Cecil, wanted only to be left in peace, will disgust every caring soul in the world."

"This was an animal species which should not have been hunted," a member of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force told BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday morning.

US Gave Pres. Buhari Names Of Oil Thieves - Report

The United States of America has reportedly handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari, the names of Nigerian oil thieves.

A member of the President’s entourage during last week’s visit to the US confided in The PUNCH on Tuesday and said:

“I can tell you that the President already has the list of names of the people engaging in the stealing of Nigeria’s oil. The list, when released by the President, will shock Nigerians. But let’s wait and see first.''

The President had said last week that some ministers in the cabinet of Jonathan were stealing as much
as 250,000 barrels of Nigeria’s crude daily. And according to the source, Buhari was taken aback when he saw the names on the list and that the list given to the President by the US might compel him to probe the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

A Presidency source also confirmed that Buhari had such a list but that “the President has been keeping the list to himself.”

The source, who told their correspondent about the list in the President’s possession, said the US gave Buhari two separate lists – one listing the names of top government officials who have been stealing the country’s oil, using their high offices to perpetrate the stealing; and the other containing the names of illegal oil bunkerers.

The Presidency source said Buhari had vowed that those whose names appeared on the list would not go scot-free.

“The President will probe all of them and make sure they return whatever fortune they had made from their thievery,” the source said.

The source said the President was already tinkering with the idea of constituting a panel to investigate those on the list with a view to arriving at how to deal with them based on the findings of the committee.

However, it was gathered that, unlike the usual probe panels, the President would likely set up a special security team to handle the probe.

The PUNCH learnt that the names on the list of oil thieves are a mixture of highly placed government officials, and retired and serving military officers.

"God Made Me But America Made Me" - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari while speaking at his U.S. War College reunion during his recent trip to America said that God made him, but America also made him. According to ThisDay, Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, wrote the article below to emphasize that “US as the architect of Buhari's presidency sits well within reason.” See the full article after the jump: Shortly after the August 1983 military coup that brought a 40-year-old Muhammadu Buhari to power, he received a phone call from top personnel in the United States Army. General Smith was the Commandant of the U.S. War College from which General Buhari graduated in 1980. The school’s 1979 set had graduated its first Nigerian, General Wushishi, who was the Chief of Defence in the just ousted Shehu government. “Please, be kind to him,” General Smith said over the phone. The essence of the phone call was not just to congratulate Nigeria’s new Head of State, but to ensure that the first Nigerian to graduate from the U.S. War College would not suffer any indignity under the government of the second Nigerian to graduate from the same school. On Wednesday, July 22, members of the U.S. War College Class of 1980 gathered at the Blair House in Washington, DC, to welcome the man they had selected as their football team referee 36 years ago. “Being referee all those years ago taught me to be fair and just,” President Buhari said during the meeting. Among the former classmates gathered were Lt. General Granrud (Commander of the U.S. forces in Japan Rtd), Brigadier General Jack Pellica, General Ronald Griffith (Former Vice Chairman of the U.S. army central command), Colonel Lany Gordon and Colonel Paul Summerville. General Smith has since passed on, as have all the directing staff and a larger percentage of the old students from the set. “This just shows that all of us are on the queue,” President Buhari said, “waiting for our turn.” The Nigerian Commander-in-Chief said he hoped that the U.S. would continue its tradition of training Nigerians in the war college. At the time he attended the school, he was the only African in his class. The only other foreigners were from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Indonesia, Thailand, France and Japan. The Japanese student went on to become the head of his country’s army. President Buhari then went on to update his classmates on his life since he last saw them: his different appointments, his accomplishments and his family. “I have just received my 13th grandchild,” he said. He added that the wife they knew him with at the time had since died, and that he had also lost a son and a daughter from his new wife. “Of all my eight children,” he said, “only one is a boy.” Some of his former classmates were curious to know if President Buhari would place his only son, Yusuf, in the army. “I stopped him from joining the army,” President Buhari replied. He explained that the military he joined was very different from what it is today, adding that he was the second Nigerian to be sent to the U.S. War College based on his records alone, without connections. “Things took a wrong turn in Nigeria,” he said. “Your records no longer matter.” Some of the former classmates present at the meeting stated that at the time they met President Buhari back in 1980, they knew little about Nigeria or Africa. They credited the Nigerian leader with giving them their initial enlightenment about the continent. Others recalled how he always overworked himself. However, President Buhari described his war college experience as being responsible for his subsequent life of hard work, endurance and perseverance. “I contested for president three times and failed,” he said. “Then I did it the fourth time and won.” A roar of laughter followed the president’s apt illustration. He then rendered his narrative of the collapse of the Soviet Union, breaking into 18 republics and how that influenced his decision to join politics. “The collapse of the Soviet empire in 1980 without a single shot being fired convinced that the multi-party democratic system was the best for all countries.” President Buhari then expressed appreciation to President Barack Obama and to the U.S. for the role the country played in Nigeria’s successful elections, recalling Secretary of State, John Kerry’s visit to him and to former President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as to Attahiru Jega, the electoral commissioner at the time. “Kerry read the riot act to all of us,” he said, “saying the conduct of the election must be free, fair and in line with the Constitution.” He added that, without US intervention, the electoral malpractices of the past twelve years would likely have happened again. “God made me but America made me,” he said. The Class of 1980 gave President Buhari the full assurances of their support, stating that they were willing to use their experience to assist him in any way they can, particularly with tackling terrorism in northeast Nigeria. They promised to put together and forward to him a compendium of their thoughts on the security situation in Nigeria. In September, President Buhari will be meeting once again with his former classmates, at another event scheduled to take place at the United Nations.

Buhari denies accusing U.S. Government of aiding Boko Haram

President Muhammadu Buhari has denied accusing the United States of supporting Boko Haram by refusing to sell arms to Nigeria.

Mr. Buhari had remarked during his visit to Washington this week, that America’s enforcement of the Leahy Law, which prohibits its government from supplying weapons to any country accused of human rights abuses, was in a way “aiding and abetting” Boko Haram.

The comments have been widely reported in local and foreign media.

In a statement Friday, the Nigerian presidency said the “persisting” reports are “untrue and widely off the mark”.

Full statement by presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina:

Persisting claims in the local and international media that President Muhammadu Buhari has accused or indicted the United States Government of helping the terrorist group, Boko Haram are untrue and widely off mark.

Reports to that effect are an unfortunate misinterpretation and distortion of the President’s remarks at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) during his highly successful official visit to Washington DC.

Indeed, President Buhari made it abundantly clear in those remarks, copies of which were circulated to the media, that he was convinced that the United States could never support groups such as Boko Haram.

“I know the American people cannot support any group engaged in these crimes,” the President clearly stated.

The regrets expressed by President Buhari at USIP about the impact of the application of the Leahy Law on Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram and terrorism cannot be construed as an indictment of President Barack Obama and the United States Government who have publicly and privately declared their preparedness to give the Buhari Administration the fullest possible support and assistance.

Within the context in which they were made, President Buhari’s comments on the adverse effect of the Leahy Law on Nigeria’s efforts to contain Boko Haram’s atrocious acts of terrorism should only be taken as a passionate appeal for even greater understanding and support from a very powerful and longstanding ally.

President Buhari has nothing but the highest possible regard for President Obama, the United States Government, the people of the United States, their laws and institutions.

The President had very successful and useful talks with President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, other high-ranking US government officials and members of United States Congress during his visit to Washington DC.

It is his expectation that those talks will lead to better mutual understanding and a further deepening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United States, especially in Nigeria’s current priority areas of defence and security cooperation.

Premiumtimes

Buhari: US Law Aided And Abetted Boko Haram

President Buhari says that the US is 'aiding and abetting' terror group Boko Haram by refusing to supply arms to Nigeria. A US law called the Leahy Law prevents the US government from selling arms to countries which fail to tackle human rights abuses. President Buhari made the accusation while addressing members of the US Institute of Peace yesterday July 22nd. He said;

"In our efforts at combating the activities of Boko Haram, the new Government has sought and obtained the support of not only our neighbours other international friends and partners. Regrettably, the blanket application of the Leahy Law by the United States on the grounds of unproven allegations of human rights violations levelled against our forces has denied us access to appropriate strategic weapons to prosecute the war against the insurgents. Our forces have remained largely impotent because they do not possess the appropriate weapons and technology which they could have had, had the so-called human rights violations not been an obstacle. Unwittingly, and I dare say, unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law amendment by the U. S. Government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorist group in the prosecution of its extremist ideology and hate, the indiscriminate killings and maiming of civilians, in raping of women and girls, and in their other heinous crimes.”

(Video/Tweets)Provide Nigeria More Aid Against Boko Haram, 'Without Strings', Buhari Called On US Govt

President Buhari, while delivering his speech at the US Institute of peace this afternoon called on the US government to provide Nigeria with aids against Boko Haram without any strings attached. Tweets and video of what he said after the cut...

Comparison Between GEJ And Buhari's Visit To The US

LOL...

More photos after the cut;

Photo: Nigerian flag mounted at Blair House

The Nigerian flag is currently mounted in front of the Blair House in the US. This is one of the honors given to any visiting President who stays in the US president's official guest house.

Group Urges Buhari Not To Listen To Obama On Gay Issues

Project for Human Development, a Civil Society Organisation, on Sunday urged President Mohammadu Buhari not to listen to the US government on issues of gay rights, so as to protect the laws and values of Nigeria.
The call was made at a rally in Lagos, against the backdrop of Buhari’s visit to the US on Monday.
The theme of the rally was, “Gay Marriage: Obama, Please Leave Nigeria Alone.”
Buhari will on Monday, July 20, be at Washington DC on a four-day official visit, during which he will hold talks with President Barack Obama and other senior officials of the United States government.
Director-General of PHD, Mr. Jerry Okwuosa, said the rally was to hint Buhari on the fears by Nigerians that Obama might ask him to decriminalise “the Same Sex Prohibition Law of Nigeria.”
According to him, this is a way for the US to promote gay rights, which is a part of America foreign policy.

"Human Rights Watch" Ask Obama To Make Buhari Endorse Gay Marriage

AHEAD of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the United States tomorrow, Human Rights Watch has written to US president Barack Obama asking him to discuss violence and corruption in Nigeria and make Buhari endorse gay rights as issues Nigeria must address.

In a letter dated July 15, 2015 signed by its Executive Director, Kenneth Roth, the international rights organisation told Obama that Buhari’s visit offered an opportunity to re-evaluate US-Nigeria partnership, while asking him to address the three issues and “speak publicly about them.”

Tribune

Buhari becomes first Nigerian president to stay at US president's official guest house 'The Blair House'

President Muhammadu Buhari, who left for the US this morning, will be staying at the Blair House in Washington D.C, According to the presidency, he will be the first Nigerian president ever to stay in the US President's official guest house.

An invitation by a sitting US President to stay in this historic guest house is regarded in America as an honor of highest significance. When visiting leaders reside here, the flags of their nations fly proudly over Blair House, a courtesy that serves as both a gracious welcome and a symbol of the home’s crucial role in diplomatic relations. SSA to Buhari on media & publicity, Shehu Garba shared the photo of him and another Nigerian standing in front of the historic building. More photos..

US declares Nigeria As The Most Important Country In Africa

Just ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the United States, a former assistant secretary of state, Johnnie Carson, is now saying that the discussion between Nigeria and United States should not be restricted to insecurity alone because Nigeria as he said is "the most important country in Africa and must be treated as such".

See full story after the jump:

The former assistant secretary said in an interview with Reuters that Washington should not let security issues overshadow the need for closer trade and investment ties. In his words: "Nigeria is the most important country in Africa, now more than ever the relationship with Nigeria should not rest essentially on a security and military-to-military relationship"

Similarly, US Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken told Reuters that: "President Barack Obama has long seen Nigeria as arguably the most important strategic country in sub-Saharan Africa."

Over the years the ties between the US and Nigeria have strained because Nigerian government refused to investigate corruption allegations in the country. Blinken said "The question is would there be an opportunity to deepen our engagement and that opportunity is now" when speaking on Buhari’s three-day visit to Washington.

Hopefully, this Buhari's visit would yield a lot of fruit! Also, I'm very happy that even the Oyibo people know that Naija is a force to be reckoned with. If only we can just get past all of this little little things holding us back. God will help us my people.

247ftolic