Adesina Reacts To US Report On Special Watchlist Of Countries Violating Religious Freedom

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina on Sunday criticised the United States’ government for placing Nigeria on the Special Watchlist of countries violating religious freedom.

Adesina who was a guest on Sunday Politics, a political programme which aired on Channels Television, said nobody has appointed the US to be the policeman of the world.

The presidential spokesman advised the Donald Trump’s administration to focus on burning issues affecting the United States.

“The United States itself has a lot to chew solving its own problems not to talk of pock nosing into another country. Nobody has appointed them the policeman of the world. Let them face their own issue,” he said.

Speaking further, Adesina called on the US and other foreign powers to respect the internal issues of Nigeria, stressing that the Federal Government doing business with them does not mean the nation’s sovereignty should not appreciated.

According to him, the US Secretary of States, Mike Pompeo does not have a clear understanding of things happening here in the country.

When asked if the accusation of the violation of religious freedom is not a reality, the presidential spokesman replied saying: “It is a discredited narrative as the Minister of Information (Lai Mohammed) has said.”

Adesina’s comment come hours after Mohammed faulted the report on religious freedom, accusing the US government of being misled by disgruntled elements.

The Information Minister noted that Nigerians enjoy unfettered freedom to practice their religion and it is unfortunate that the US fell for the antics of the discontented and the unpatriotic few.

The US in its Special Watch List placed Nigeria amongst countries that its government had engaged in or tolerated the severe violation of religious freedom.