The United States of America (USA), at the weekend, denied that it believed that Nigeria would disintegrate in some years from now.

The new US Consular General to Nigeria, Mr Joseph D. Stafford, stated this on Friday, when he visited the Executive Director of an Ekiti State-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), New Initiative for Social Development, Mr. Abiodun Oyeleye, as part of his familiarisation tour of states of the country.

Stafford said it would amount to doomsday prediction for anybody to say that Nigeria would break or that its oil resources would dry up, adding that the country was strategic, not only to West Africa or the entire continent, but also the whole world.

He added that based on the belief of the USA in Nigeria, he cared, as new world power’s  Consular General to Nigeria and that was why he decided to familiarise himself with states of the country.

He said the United States government was putting in place measures to make accessibility to US visa less stressful, adding that the country was also strengthening bilateral relationships with Nigeria.

“It is doomsday prediction for anybody to say Nigeria will disintegrate. The US does not believe in that. In fact, we are strengthening bilateral relations with the country.

“Nigeria is highly important, not only to the West African sub-region and the entire continent, but also to the entire globe. We are interested in the Niger Delta and the overall security of Nigeria.

chyz:

Why is he talking about Oil?

“Nigeria is highly important, not only to the West African sub-region and the entire continent, but also to the entire globe. We are interested in the Niger Delta and the overall security of Nigeria.

chyz:

Why is he talking about Oil?

We are interested in the Niger Delta and the overall security of Nigeria.

chyz:

I think the question should be will the people of the nigeria delta get the emancipation that they have been waiting for if the US bring the "security" that they are talking about? And on another note what war or insecurity do we here about in the niger delta as we speak now? is Abia not in the niger delta?why was there no talks of US security during the kidnappings.Also more people have been killed in the north due to lack of security why is there no talk of US "security" being sent to the north since theyy care o so much about nigeria?

Beaf:

The US is just declaring with whom and where their interests would lie with if there is conflict in Nigeria. My reading of the tea leaves is that from the US viewpoint, the Niger Delta is more important than the whole of the country; this little missive says it all;

In the above, it is very interesting that the Niger Delta is mentioned before Nigeria. It is also instructive, that while the US says it is wholly interested in the Niger Delta, it is only partially interested in the rest of the country and that interest extends only to security. I wouldn't be rejoicing at the US Consular General's words, if anything, they are very pregnant with meaning. Let the wise hear.

It is at times like this that daylight is shone on the stack foolishness of those who have been talking up tribal and sectional frictions; the Ciroma's, Kaita's, Kanti Bello's, Yakasai's and other similar bats.

OAM4J:

What type of interest do they have in Niger Delta?
How beneficial is this interest to the Niger Deltans?
Are they interested in the fight against the age long injustice melted on the NDs?
Are they going to address the underdevelopment problems of ND?
And are they interested in ND struggle for resource control?