Niger coup: What President Tinubu told US special envoy

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has advised U.S. Presidential Envoy and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Molly Phee, to ensure that U.S. policy is intentionally collaborative with independent African democracies at a time when they are under assault by anti-democratic forces within and outside of the continent.

The president noted that American-backed development finance and multilateral institutions designed to support war-torn Europe after World War II require swift and comprehensive reform to meet the developmental requirements of younger democracies in Africa.

He said the legitimate yearnings of Africans would no longer be manipulated to serve the narrow aims of self-seeking demagogues through unconstitutional takeovers of power.

Tinubu, according to a presidential media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, said: “Yes, the private sector will lead the way within an enabling environment we create for them, but the U.S. Government must be innovative in its thinking and systematically create incentives for U.S. industrial investment in Nigeria.

“Under my leadership, Nigeria stands ready to address its specific regulatory, tax and environmental concerns. I am determined to create prosperity for all Nigerian families.”

The Nigerian leader affirmed that the crisis in Niger Republic would not deter him from concluding his economic reform programme successfully for the benefit of Nigerians.

He noted that he would take a queue from no nation but would only advance the interest of the Nigerian state in his approach toward ECOWAS’ handling of the regional standoff.

“We are deep in our attempts to peacefully settle the issue in Niger by leveraging on our diplomatic tools.

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”I continue to hold ECOWAS back, despite its readiness for all options, in order to exhaust all other remedial mechanisms.

”War is not ideal for my economic reforms, nor for the region, but the defense of democracy is sacrosanct.

”The ECOWAS consensus is that we will not allow anyone to insincerely buy time,” he said.