It Is Unfair! - Nigerians cry
By Joelson Njoku

The most populous and the largest oil producing nation in Africa, diverse in ethnicity and religion, battling with its internal problems, Nigeria the “Giant of Africa” strives against all odds to maintain and sustain its international relations. U.S. department of State in December 2009 states concerning the bilateral relationship between the two nations and Nigeria’s support for counter terrorism, “since the restoration of basic democracy in Nigeria in 1999, the bilateral relationship has continued to improve and cooperation on many important foreign policy goals, such as regional peacekeeping, has been excellent.

“The government has lent strong support to U.S government counter terrorism efforts in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Nigeria also has played a leading role in forging an anti-terrorism consensus among states in sub-Saharan Africa.”

As regards to peace and peacekeeping operations within and outside Africa, Nigeria has been seriously involved since attaining independence in 1960. Muhammad Juma Kuna of the department of Sociology, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, in his paper “The Role of Nigeria in Peace Building, Conflict Resolution, and Peacekeeping since 1960” opined, “Nigeria strives to put its neighbours at ease and attempts to stave off problems that could arise by establishing bilateral agreements.” He continued that, “Nigeria has also been, for a long time, the chair of the U.N Special Committee on peace-keeping operations. Nigerian troops are still serving in many U.N missions.”

It is not surprising then, why Nigerians home and in Diaspora collectively reacted with disbelieve, despite religious or ethnic affiliations, and denounced the inclusion of Nigeria in the U.S. list of terrorist nations as a result of the alleged attempted terrorism on Northwest Flight 253 to Detroit on Christmas day by a Nigerian - Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23.

The Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili said that she received the news of the alleged attempted terrorism with dismay, and reiterated that “Nigeria as a nation abhors all forms of terrorism.”  And concerning U.S decision, she said, “it is unfair to include Nigeria in the U.S list for tighter screening because Nigerians do not have terrorist tendency. Abdulmutallab’s act was a one-off thing. He was not influenced in Nigeria. He was not recruited or trained in Nigeria. He was not supported whatsoever in Nigeria.

“Abdulmutallab’s behaviour is not reflective of Nigerians and should therefore not be used as a yardstick to judge all Nigerians. It is unfair to discriminate against over 150 million people because of the behaviour of one person.”

 In the same vein, some Nigerians who alleged that the country have been treated with disdain and with discrimination, question why some countries like Britain and even U.S – with one or more alleged terrorist nationals - do not share in the terrorist watch status.

Others are of the opinion that for the fact that Alhaji umaru Mutallab, the father of Farouk Abdulmutallab, reported to American Embassy in Nigeria about his son’s increasingly extremist views (a fact acknowledged by the United States’ government), something most parents would not do, is the height of how much Nigerians as a people were not involved in the act and needed not to be punished by Obama’s government.

But the U.S. government says the decision is part of its measures to protect and safeguard the lives and property of its citizens, which is fundamental to every government, Nigerian government and its citizens disagree with the terrorist watch list status, while the world watches what would become of their long standing bilateral relationship.

And as the two nations and other nations put in place mechanisms and technologies to protect lives and properties in the Air ports, innocent, peaceful, and law abiding citizens of our global community fear that their rights, freedom, and movements would be adversely tampered with – including Nationals outside the 14 nations in the list.

O’ dear beautiful world where are we heading to? It used to be a pleasure to want to travel. But, now it is unpleasant and a discomfort to even dream of it. I need wings to fly!

*Joelson Njoku is a Freelance Journalist based in The Hague, the Netherlands.