Why Kerry restricted his visit to Northern Nigeria

The visit of American Secretary of State, John Kerry, to Nigeria has elicited varying reactions with the major talking point being his decision to confine his movement to the northern part of the country. Politicians, activists and students from the southern parts of the country have decried Kerry’s action suggesting that there might be sinister undertone.

Nigerian Times checks with Presidency sources however, reveal that the decision of the American government to restrict the movement of its Secretary of state to Northern Nigeria was for strategic reasons.

A source in the Presidency disclosed that Kerry’s visit to Africa as a whole was driven by the US Government’s concern with inroads being made by violent Islamic extremism on the continent and the need to put the lid on it.

He said Kerry’s decision to visit Kenya first underscored the belief by the American government that the East African country had become a staging ground for violent extremism in recent times.

The source said the visit to the north of Nigeria alone was for the same reason. He said the American government mindful of the destruction the Boko Haram has wrought in the north east of Nigeria and the emergence of splinter groups, wanted to do all it could in conjunction with the Nigerian government, northern Islamic leaders and other influential Muslims to check the spread of violent extremism promoted by radical Islamic sects.

Nigerian Times learnt that the visit to Nigeria was specifically in response to a request for help by President Buhari to President Barack Obama for assistance in tackling insurgency, corruption, the banking sector and the economy.

This request had been made by a Nigerian government delegation to the United States led by Baba Gana Kingibe, a former ambassador and presidential aspirant in the 1990s.

“ President Obama during that visit had assured theNigerian delegation that he was willing to partner President Buhari to fight violent extremism and tackle corruption.

Kerry’s coming is fulfillment of that promise,” our source said.

It was also learnt that the visit was timed to coincide with the 60th birthday celebration of Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto.

This was done to honour the Sultan who the Americans see as one of the moderate voices of Islam in the West African sub-region. They believe that encouraging a man like him to push for greater tolerance other religions in Nigeria by Islamic faithful would be one way of checking Islamic fundamentalism.

Nigerian Times can also disclose that Kerry’s visit was not altogether altruistic as the American Secretary of State also impressed on President Buhari, the need to secure American investments in Nigeria particularly in the Niger Delta region, where the bulk of America’s assets in Africa are located.

Kerry during the meeting with Buhari reiterated his government’s advice to the Nigerian government given when the Kingibe delegation visited President Obama that President Buhari should not resort to the use of force in resolving the agitation for resource control in the Niger Delta.

“ The Americans understand the danger of full blown war in the Niger Delta. With them owning assets running into several billion dollars, the last thing they want is an all-out war,” our source said.

He said Kerry extracted a promise from President Buhari to lean more toward dialogue particularly now that the militants are showing signs of discussing with government.