USAID and Boko Haram: Why Nigerians Should Not Believe US Lawmaker's Claim, Analyst
- Nigerians have been urged to look beyond the mere statement of US Congressman Scott Perry and scrutinise further before believing that USAID truly funded Boko Haram terrorists
- Omotayo Yusuf, a public commentator, made the call while noting Perry had made several comments in the past that have been confirmed to be false
- The Republican lawmaker representing Pennsylvania made the allegation at the inaugural hearing of the subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on Thursday, February 13
Omotayo Yusuf, a public commentator in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, has called on Nigerians to vet the claim by the United States' Congressman Scott Perry that the US aid agency, USAID, was financing terrorist organisations across the world, including Boko Haram.
The Republican lawmaker representing Pennsylvania made the allegation at the inaugural hearing of the subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on Thursday, February 13.
Source: Twitter
Analyst speaks on Perry's allegation
Reacting to the allegation, Yusuf maintained that Nigerians should not believe such allegations without strong evidence to back up the claim. He noted that Perry has made several comments in the past that were fact-checked and discovered to be false.
He said:
"I think it is quite unfortunate that even the Nigerian media has run with this story without any attempts to vet it. To vet the personality of the person making the allegations and to also see whether ample evidence has been provided to support his claim.
"The fact that this is coming from a US lawmaker does not automatically confer its believability without evidence. Every allegation, especially one of this magnitude, must be followed by ample evidence that will show a series of investigations to confirm this. This lawmaker himself has had a long history of making false statements that cannot be backed up by facts.
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"In situations like this, especially one related to national security, and terrorism, I think it is quite unfortunate that sọ much ìs hinged on unfounded statements by one person. If it has been a Nigerian lawmaker who made this allegation. Will the Nigerian media run with this story with so much sense of believability? Will Nigerians themselves, have accepted it without evidence?"
Why US lawmaker's allegations should be probed
Yusuf further recounted that much is involved in the allegation, considering the effects of Boko Haram activities on Nigeria's economy, insecurity and several other aspects. He also extolled how the USAID has benefited Nigeria and Africa at large. He said:
"There is too much involved, terrorism, many lives have been lost, and the North has not been able to get back to what it used to be. We know how much it is affecting our economy, and security is also part of it. This has affected our food sustainability and food security.
"In situations like this, we need more than a statement from an American lawmaker, because USAID has benefited different sectors in the African continent and why it cannot be devoid of controversies, I am sure there have been cases where they overstepped their boundaries, I do not believe the USAID institution has directly funded Boko Haram until ample evidence are provided."
USAID accused of sponsoring Boko Haram
Legit.ng earlier reported that U.S. Congressman Scott Perry has alleged that the USAID has been sponsoring terrorist organisations across the world, including Boko Haram
Perry's allegation came after CDS General Christopher Musa raised the alarm that the Boko Haram terrorist groups are being sponsored and trained by international organisations.
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Source: Legit.ng
