The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James F. Entwistle
The United States Government has dismmissed fears that Nigeria would not disintegrate this year as projected by one of the country’s agency years back.
The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James F. Entwistle, said that Nigeria would not break despite th prevailing socio-economic and political challenges which gravely undermined the country indivisibility and unity.
He spoke at a news conference on the premiere of a movie titled Selma, which he addressed with the Senior Pastor of the House on the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, at the Church’s the Rock Cathedral in Lekki, Lagos.
Entwistle dismissed a report that the US Government had predicted that Nigeria would split anytime from year 2015.
He said Nigeria “is not different from all other countries in the world with various degrees of challenges but that would not make them split.”
According to the ambassador, US “has had her fair share of political challenges and that did not make her split.”
He said Nigeria “is a strong country that has not shown any sign of disintegration,” thereby raising questions on why people predict doom for the country rather than work towards its strength. Do you want Nigeria to break up?”
Also speaking, Adefarasin admonished Nigerians “to work towards peace and unity of the country. Knowing that peace is not the absence of tension but the presence of justice, we must ensure that peace, justice and equity are enshrined in Nigeria.”
For him, interest of Nigeria cannot be determined along ethnic or religious lines.
‘The tragic events in parts of this country are a harsh reminder that dialogue, peace and religious tolerance are crucial to our continued existence,” the pastor said.
