The United States Ambassador in Nigeria, Richard M. Mills, Jr., has refuted allegations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was used to fund the Boko Haram terrorist group, stating that the US government was the first country to declare Boko Haram a terrorist group.
US Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency last week, claimed in a paper titled, ‘The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,’ misappropriation of taxpayer funds, alleging USAID is used to fund Boko Haram.
But Ambassador Mills, Jr., after a meeting with Nigerian Governors in the early hours of Thursday, refuted the allegations of using USAID to fund Boko Haram.
He said, “Can I answer the question about the Boko Haram? Let me be clear, there’s no friend of Nigeria that has been stronger and its condemnation of the violence of Boko Haram and Boko Haram contempt for human life than the United States.
”We have labeled Boko Haram Since 2013 a foreign terrorist organization, a designation that was designed to block Boko Haram, Boko Haram from carrying out any asset transfers to United States, allows us to arrest and seize members of Boko Haram and allows us to cooperate in investigations with the Nigerian government.
”We, I can assure you, we have policies and procedures in place to ensure that USAID funding, any of our assistance funding, whether it comes from USAID, the Department of Defense, the State Department, is not diverted to a terrorist group like Boko Haram.
”There is absolutely no evidence that I have seen that has occurred, and certainly if we ever had evidence presented to us that a program, funding was being diverted to Boko Haram, we would immediately, investigate along with Nigerian partners.
”And so I just want to be clear that when it comes to Boko Haram, the United States stands with Nigeria and wanting to rid this country of the scourge that the organization represents”, he said.
On his priorities as the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, said, ”We’re going to be focusing on four key priorities over the coming years. The first is how to improve the business environment so there’s more trade between the United States and Nigeria, more investment on both sides.
Second, a new renewed focus on improving transparency accountability in this country, how to fight corruption and power Nigerian voices that are fighting for more transparency here.
“Third, we want to be more engaged at the sub national level, at the state level and with the local governing authorities. That’s, I think, an area where the embassy needs to do a bit more engagement as we develop our programs and our assistance.
”And lastly, we talked about our health care programs, because our health care programs are a large part of us, assistance to Nigeria, and as those programs are succeeding, as less people have HIV, as polio vaccinations have helped eradicate polio, we want to start transitioning those programs, keep them sustainable and turn them over to the Nigerian government at the federal level, at the state level.
”So how do we keep our health programs sustainable and transfer it over to the Nigerian government so they can run them and make them more effective in a new healthcare future? So that’s what we talked about, that vision.
”We’d like to see is, I think, more direct engagement at the state level, our programs more focused on the states. We’d like to help develop capacity of the states and the local governing authorities. I think this is partly driven by the Supreme Court decision last summer that is going to give, I think, the LGAs (autonomy).
”if this unfolds the way we think it will, perhaps some more authority, more fiscal responsibility. So we want to help the LGAs transition, take on this new responsibility and make sure they can work well with the states, based on our experience in the United States, where we have a federal system too, and where one of our governing principles is the most effective government is the government that’s closest to the people. So that’s what we’re looking for in Nigeria.”
On the stoppage of funds by United States, Ambassador Mills Jr. said, ”Well, first, let me clarify one thing. Right now, the new administration has put in a 90 day pause on our assistance. No assistance has been cut yet, no decisions have been made about the future of our assistance.
”In fact, Secretary of State Marcus Rubio, has said this is not about ending foreign assistance to our partners and friends like Nigeria. It’s about how to make the assistance more effective and how to make sure that it aligns with US government policies and interests.
”So that’s what this 90 day pause is for on our assistance. But I think many of you have seen, I hope that there are waivers, waivers for our assistance that’s life saving, that provides humanitarian life saving assistance, whether that’s to HIV patients or to mother and child nutrition needs or to internally displaced people. So that that continues. Where we’ll be in 90 days, we will know,” stated.