THE United States, at the weekend, urged Nigeria not to relent in the investigation of controversial Iranian arms shipment to the country.
Though the Federal Government has formally filed its first notification report to the United Nations over the arms shipment that violates international sanctions against Iran, the US government hopes that the matter should not end there, and is asking “Nigeria to aggressively investigate what did occur.”
In a press briefing with foreign correspondents in the U.S., hosted in Washington DC and New York, Philip J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs at the U.S. State Department disclosed that the Americans had encouraged an investigation of the matter within Nigeria.
Crowley, a senior Obama administration operative, spoke in response to a question from The Guardian, on how the U.S. views the Iran shipment and how it could be helpful to Nigeria in managing the fallouts of the situation.
According to him: “All I can say is that we have encouraged an investigation within Nigeria. As I understand it, the investigation regarding the possible shipment of arms from Iran to Nigeria remains under investigation.
“I believe that Nigeria has already made a report to the UN Security Council regarding the incident, and we would continue to encourage Nigeria to aggressively investigate what did occur.
“And we are encouraged by the steps that Nigeria has already taken with regard to this arms shipment.”
Under a series of the UN Security Council resolutions including resolution 1929 of this year, which was motivated by the US and supported by Nigeria, Iran suffered an arms embargo, as part of punitive measures against its uncooperative attitude towards the international community regarding its nuclear programme.
One of the stipulations of the arms embargo is that no member of the UN should allow weapon shipment from Iran.
On the specific ways the US is helping Nigeria to deal with the situation, Crowley referred to the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-national Commission, which meets on a regular basis.
The US, he noted, would “continue to work with Nigeria on its long-term needs, particularly helping to strengthen its institutions of government, which are vitally important to enable a country like Nigeria to extend its sovereignty throughout its country and be able to take the kind of steps that we’ve seen in this particular instance.”
He also said: “We continue to talk to Nigeria about issues such as corruption. I mean; Nigeria is a country with significant wealth. However, that wealth has not yet, in our view, been sufficiently invested for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
“So, we want to see Nigeria develop a broader economy that helps people throughout its country and in every part of its country. And the economy is a pivotal element of helping Nigeria with its internal security.”
Responding to another question on Nigeria regarding the release of some abducted foreign oil workers in the Niger Delta and the question of a military solution to the militancy in the area, the US government spokesman expressed the gratitude of the United States for the “efforts of the Nigerian Government and others.”
But he said the solution to the Niger Delta problem was much more difficult than that.
His words: “The challenge of Nigeria is a difficult and complex one and will involve effective action not in one dimension but several dimensions.”
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