By Abu Duniya, Abuja
A former senate president, Ameh Ebute, has urged the federal government to file a formal complaint against Tom Marino, the US Congressman who recently accused President Muhammadu Buhari of “excesses”.
Marion who in a letter to John Kerry, US secretary of state, accused the president of running an autocratic government. He also asked his country to withhold its security assistance to Nigeria.
But in a letter to the minister of foreign affairs, Ebute urged the Nigerian government to explore ways of telling Marino to limit himself to what he is knowledgeable about instead of dabbling into Nigerian politics. He added that the assistance of the US in the fight against insurgency is not entirely for the benefit of Nigeria but for the American nation itself.
“A Nigeria free of terrorism will contribute to a more secured world and the Americans would actually be helping themselves by offering this assistance since that country is the one in the crosshair of terrorists,” he said. In the letter, dated September 6, Ebute said from all indications, Marino knows nothing about Nigeria.
He said Marino’s letter was driven by the belief that his country remains an imperial lord over Nigeria and other nations.
“I therefore crave your indulgence to use your office to send a strong message to Congressman Tom Marino, the US Congress and the United States government that the era of imperialism is over and discussions about mutual cooperation should not be exploited to pass ignorant judgment on Nigeria or any other nation for that matter,” Ebute’s said.
“What is saddening is the realisation that within Nigeria there is a section of the population that erroneously thinks Marino has done them the favour of providing ammunition to continue their unyielding attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
“This however cannot be further from the truth as the letter is an attack on Nigeria as a country, which in Marino’s view is nothing but an outpost of the US.” Ebute presided over the senate during the end of the third republic.
