The United States government has begun investigations into how past aid allocated to Nigeria and other countries has been utilised.This follows US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend all foreign aid for 90 days, citing concerns about global destabilisation and misalignment with American interests.
The move responds to growing calls for a comprehensive review of US Agency for International Development health funds.
It would be recalled that last Thursday, a United States Congressman, Scott Perry, had claimed that US Agency for International Development or USAID, had funded terrorist organisations, around the world, including Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, made the claim during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency headed by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.
The United States designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013 and pledged to block the organization’s assets and fundraising efforts, prosecute individual members, and restrict their travel to the United States.
So Senator Perry’s assertion that a government that described the group as criminal, was inadvertently sponsoring it, raised a few eyebrows.
Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South constituency, one of the worst impacted areas by Boko Haram, voiced concerns about the claim that the USAID might have financed terrorist groups, including Boko Haram, through annual funds amounting to $697 million.
Senator Ndume urged the federal government to investigate what he described as the serious allegations by weighty allegation by the US Congressman.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has also waded into the matter and called on the United Nations to investigate the funding and training of the Boko Haram terrorists.
On its part, the US Mission to Nigeria, on Tuesday took to the micro- messaging site, X, formerly known as Twitter, to say that monitoring systems are in place to track past assistance provided by the US government
The U.S. Mission also strongly condemned the ongoing violence and loss of life caused by Boko Haram in Nigeria.
The allegations have also led to some citizens of Borno state, calling for Aid organisations to leave Borno State.
What remains to be seen is whether or not the Nigerian government will follow in the footsteps of its American counterpart and institute a probe into the activities of Aid organisations in Nigeria.
Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie
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