Religious Intolerance: FG Reveals What It Will Do To U.S. Govt Over Blacklist
Following the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a country that tolerates religious persecution, the federal government, on Tuesday said it will formally request the US government to remove Nigeria from the blacklist.
Spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, Ferdinand Nwonye, made this known in a statement obtained by THE WHISTLER, saying that the Nigerian Government was surprised and displeased with the U.S. action.
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“The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to an announcement made by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo stating that the Government of the United Statesof America has designated Nigeria as a ‘country of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998’.
“The Federal Governnment of Nigeria received the news with surprise, that a secular country under a democratic government would be so designated.
“The Ministry wishes to assure that the Nigerian Government will engage the U.S. Government to express its displeasure and request that Nigeria be removed from the list,” it stated.
The ministry also stressed that Nigeria remained a secular state and as such, the US position on the country would not stand.
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The statement further reads:
“Although the Nigerian State is multi-religious and multi-ethnic, the Nigerian constitution expressly states that the Government shall not adopt any religion as State religion.
“Furthermore, section 38 of the Constitution guarantees that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion including freedom to change his/her religion or belief and freedom to manifest and propagate his/her religion or belief.
“Religious liberty in Nigeria has never been in question, therefore any claim contrary to that is completely false and untrue.
“The Nigerian Government remains committed to ensuring the respect and protection of all citizens’ right to religious freedom and promotion of religious tolerance and harmony.”
