Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken exception to the tweets published by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja Friday morning and has summoned the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy to protest the tweet credited to its spokeswoman, Deb MacLean.
Information Nigeria reports that the first tweet said the U.S. was “deeply disappointed” over the pardon issued this week to former Bayelsa state Gov. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. While the second tweet from the embassy simply said: “We see this as a setback in the fight against corruption.”
However, in a statement, the ministry said it conveyed the protest via a diplomatic note, in which it “strongly condemned the comment from the US Embassy in Abuja, which it described as undue interference and meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of Nigeria.”
The statement added that it “was not the first time a government in Nigeria or elsewhere would grant state pardon to individuals who have committed one crime or the other.”
The ministry further stressed that “the pardon granted is entirely consistent with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.”
The ministry said it hoped “that the Embassy of the United States of America would henceforth desist from making unwarranted comments on Nigeria’s internal affairs which are capable of undermining the friendly relations that exist between them.”
Why are we scared of hearing the truth
The pardon is disgraceful, but USG should respect us and not meddle in our internal affairs. Our protest is right, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Shame on you since you dont want to say the truth let us listen to your teachers of democracy because injustice any where is injustice everywhere beware.
Setting barabas(evil) free instead of jesus(good) This is a disgrace to nigeria’s nascent democracy.
Jonathan represents the pervasive incompetence, tactlessness and ineptitude that has characterised the Nigerian governance until now and continues to do so… Hey US, why don’t shove your filthy, hypocritical Western mouth into your armpit!!!!!…