The Federal Government has expressed displeasure at the United States (US) designation of Nigeria as one of the countries of concern on religious freedom, which suggested that Nigeria is perceived as a country where violations of religious freedoms are perpetrated.
The US had in a statement issued on Tuesday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, listed Nigeria, Burma,China, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(North Korea), Pakistan,Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern Under the International Religious Freedom Act 1998, as amended for engaging in or tolerating ” systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of Religious freedoms”.
The US also designated the Boko Haram sect and other terrorist groups such as, al-Shabaab, al-Qaida, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS West Africa and the Taliban as “Entities of Particular Concern Under the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act 2016.”
Reacting to this designations made against Nigeria, the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, in a statement on Tuesday, said Nigeria was surprised to receive the news of such designation because Nigeria is a secular state under a democratic government.
Read Also: US adds Nigeria to infamous list of nations conducting religious persecution
Part of the statement read: “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 States of America has designated Nigeria as a ‘country of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998’.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria received the news with surprise, that a secular country under a democratic government would be so designated. 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 statement noted that 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.
The government also assured Nigerians that it will engage the U.S. Government to express its displeasure and request that Nigeria be removed from the list, the statement added.
