Former Sokoto State governor and senator representing Sokoto South senatorial district, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has appealed to US President Donald Trump to reconsider the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and partner the administration of President Bola Tinubu in tackling the troubling security challenges in the country.
Speaking with journalists in Sokoto yesterday, Tambuwal said the present security challenges in the country had no religious coloration, but an act of criminality that the marauders were engaged in without sparing anybody irrespective of faith.
He said, "As someone who has been so privileged, to get to the level I have gotten, I cannot be looking at this issue of insecurity from any biased position, rather I will look at it as a pan-Nigeria, a patriot who believes in this country as a Nigerian problem that requires every hand to be on deck for it to be addressed once and for all.
"I like to believe that the description by President Trump and the American government of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern is quite unfortunate, and I believe that President Trump did not get the full grasp and appreciation of the Nigerian situation.
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"These marauders are not representing any religion, if not how else are they doing what they are doing in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kebbi, if at all particularly they are representing Islamic religion.
"Insecurity is not about religion like Donald Trump said, but the marauders are common criminals that are after every single soul that comes across them and everyone is being affected.
"Therefore, I call on President Trump and the American government to reconsider their position and support the administration of President Bola Tinubu to address insecurity challenges we are facing in Nigeria," he said.
He maintained that nobody should play politics with the security situation, saying the challenge is not about President Bola Tinubu, and not about political party or anybody, but about Nigeria.
Tambuwal recounted how the governors and other stakeholders under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari all came together irrespective of party affiliation and agreed together to allow money be taken from the nation's treasury to the tune of $1 billion to purchase Tucano fighter jets from the American government.
"Unfortunately, the American government themselves didn't give the Nigeria government and the Nigerian Air Force in particular the full components of the Tucano. So as they are now, they have not been able to deploy them fully, because some of the aspects and components of the Tucano were not supplied by the American government," he stated.
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He appealed to President Donald Trump to look at Nigeria and Nigerians, not minding whatever issue he may have with President Tinubu, but that Nigeria and Nigerians are seeking help of friends from across the globe, be it America, France, UK, or Canada.
