ABUJA – The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, has said that the lifting of arms embargo to Nigeria by United States of America, USA, was the first diplomatic breakthrough of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
National Publicity Secretary of CNPP, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, who made the remarks while reacting to the development it described a “harvest and dividend of Buhari’s uncommon integrity.”
It will be recalled that the U.S. placed arms embargo against Nigeria based on the Leahy Act, which frowns against allegations of Human Rights breaches against the Nigerian Military. The Leahy Act is a Human Rights law of the US, which prevents the US State Department and the Department of Defence from selling arms and ammunitions to countries whose military are believed to have committed brazen acts of Human Rights violation.
Okechukwu noted that, the CNPP applauded the heart warming news Diplomatic Breakthrough; emanating form the US delegation led by the head of United States Congress Committee on the Judiciary, Congressman Darrel Issa to the effect that the U.S. will soon lift the current arms embargo placed on Nigeria
According to him, “For us, this is the 1st Diplomatic Breakthrough of President Buhari administration; a harvest and dividend of his uncommon integrity. In other words Nigeria has been reconnected to the global community,” he said.
The umbrella body of registered political parties said, “Pundits attributed the resort of our dear former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, to the under the table and Black Market to procure the needful arms and ammunitions to contain Boko Haram insurgents, to the blatant refusal of the US government to sell arms to Nigeria because of the Leahy law.
“Accordingly, we congratulate Presidents Barack Obama and Muhammadu Buhari; for it is our candid view that the Diplomatic Breakthrough – lifting of arms embargo on Nigeria by President Obama, is a direct dividend of the integrity of President Buhari, an uncommon political capital, upon which Nigerians voted.
“The US was relying on President Muhammadu Buhari and the military chiefs to rebuild the trust of Nigerians in the military as an institution that would protect the citizenry.
“The fact is that this new regime with the new general staff has begun the process of ensuring that military professionalism in all post-civilians and combats has been made in a way that we can both be confident that the rule of law is being obeyed.”
CNPP appealed to Nigerians of all cadre, creed and political party, to candidly join Mr President in laying a solid foundation for a new Nigeria; as this singular act of the US government has put paid to those who insinuated that President Buhari’s U.S. Trip was a futile exercise and a jamboree.
