Nigeria’s membership of the Islamic coalition against terror led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has nothing to do with giving Nigeria an Islamic identity, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, said on Monday.
The minister was reacting to reports at the weekend that Nigeria had joined the coalition.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in an interview with Al-Jazeera broadcast at the weekend, disclosed that Nigeria had joined the Saudi-led coalition, less than two weeks after he was widely reported as saying Nigeria supports the initiative, but won’t be a part of the coalition.
Mr. Onyeama blamed the media for not being “responsible” enough in the presentation of their reports.
Rather than dwelling on the religious perspective, he said that the media ought to be more interested in the objectives of the coalition.
Speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Mr. Onyeama pointed out that terrorism was a global phenomenon and Nigeria was ready to support any move to deal with it.
On the reservation expressed by some Nigerians on Nigeria’s membership of the Islamic coalition, he said: “What I say first of all is that you guys in the media have to be more responsible in the way you present news. First and foremost, get your facts right.
“It has nothing to do with religion as far as Nigeria is concerned. We have to look at what the objective is. We face terror challenges and it’s a global phenomenon.
“Unfortunately, the problem we have today is that some of the terrorists groups are claiming some of the things they are doing is in the name of a particular religion and it is clear to everybody that this is not the case which is obviously a concern to people of Islamic faith and Islamic countries that their religion should be so abused.
“So, there is naturally a tendency to show that this has nothing to do with Islam. Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam. Islamic countries, Islamic people want to be seen as being in the forefront of the battle against these terrorists to show also that it has absolutely nothing to do with religion.
“That’s what this is all about. So, we are supporting every move to achieve this, to disabuse people’s minds that some of these terrorists are speaking in the name of Islam or are Islamic or that there’s anything about Islamic teaching that somehow condones these barbaric actions.
“I think it’s something we should all get together and we should all support whoever is working towards it. And that’s what this coalition is for, to show too that we are a Muslim country, we are Muslims and these people do not speak for Islam, have nothing to do with Islam.
“Most of the victims of these people are Muslims if you look at it. So, that’s what it is”.
“It has nothing to do with Nigeria, Christianity, Islam. I think the media should really get the main message across”, he added
Who is fooling who mr man. Buhari lied to Nigerians that he rejected his desire to take Nigeria to Islamic coalition and then went through the back door to sign and hand over his father’s house into his Ishmaelite brothers. who will go and fight for the muslims in Syria. is it Igbos or southerners that will go and defend islam for him? it will fail. he is planning a coalition against a posibble declaration of Biafra. he cannot deceive us.