Nigeria is a secular state, and its citizens are free to hold on any religious belief, President Muhammadu Buhari has declared. The president made the declaration last weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria. Mr. Buhari, represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, while making the declaration on Sunday, acknowledged the fact that the Catholic Bishops Conferences were crucial, and commended the Catholic Church for its humanitarian works in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in the North Eastern part of the country.

The President said "There shall be no state religion, and all Nigerians are guaranteed freedom of worship.” He added that the menace posed by Boko Haram will soon be over, as the Federal Government is winning the war.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey is ready to help Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.

Addressing a joint news conference alongside his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, Erdogan said Turkey will help Nigeria bring peace to the region.

"As a country combating terrorism itself for a long time, any terror in Nigeria deeply hurts our hearts,” the Turkish president said.

Erdogan also extended his condolences to the victims of terrorism in Nigeria.

“There is evidence that terrorism is the same all over the world," Erdogan said, adding: “Terrorism has no religion or nationality”.

“We are ready to combat terrorism with Nigeria. We would like you to enjoy our experience in the field of defense,” he added.

There is no “distinction between terror organizations,” Erdogan said.

Buhari welcomed the Turkish president saying: “I thank you for supporting us in these difficult times that we have been through,” Buhari said.

The Turkish president also expressed his interest in boosting bilateral economic ties. He noted the growth of Nigerian economy in recent years and expressed Turkey’s willingness to make further investments in Nigeria.

“We have been following Nigeria’s economic growth closely. I am accompanied by a large number of businessmen…We hope to be able to obtain a positive outcome from this [Turkey-Nigeria business] forum [in Abuja],” Erdogan said.

“The population of Turkey and Nigeria is about 260 million people… that is a very important market if we combine our forces,” he added.

He also said that Turkey remains ready to share its experience and knowledge in the fields of irrigation and agriculture with Nigeria.

“It will be a pleasure for me to host Buhari as soon as possible,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish president also said the Grand National Assembly of Turkey will cooperate with the Nigerian parliament.

Turkey and Nigeria signed bilateral agreements on economic, scientific, and technical cooperation in 2011.

The Turkey-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1999. Their main areas of trade relations revolve around imports of clothing materials and automobile parts. Turkey also imports raw materials from Nigeria, including rubber and sesame seeds.

Turkish investments in Nigeria are in the areas of construction, quarrying, textiles, tourism, education, healthcare and hospitality.

Erdogan is currently on a four-nation tour of Africa. He visited the Ivory Coast on Monday and Ghana on Tuesday. He is expected to leave Abuja late Wednesday for a visit to Guinea.

Nearly 150 Turkish businessmen joined Erdogan on his tour of West Africa that began earlier last week.

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Dear President Buhari,

We are in dangerous times, and your actions, or inactions, will count for a lot. The truth is that whenever someone begins a project, especially a project which he has fought so hard for, it is important to make haste, lest motivation wanes. If motivation wanes, there is a clear and present danger of the entire project faltering. That, is the cliff down which we all stare at the moment, including you, no, especially you.

The wind in the sails which swept you to office just over half a year ago are beginning to dissipate, and no other scenario illustrates this better than what is happening in the North East at the moment. I'd rather not, at this point, dwell on the fact that the buck stops at your table, and for my own, selfish reasons. I voted you, and at this point, I don't want to accept that I may have made a mistake.

In voting you, I had hoped that if anything, I'd be looking at an end to the Boko Haram nonsense post haste. That has not happened. Rather, I've been told about a "technical defeat". What does that mean?

Sir, a week before we all queued up and voted you into office, I stood before a room full of your supporters, an audience which included some of the "big men" in your government today, and I told them that no matter what they should not lie to you.

I took that stand, because I believed, and still believe, that the reason the government of your predecessor failed was because of that kind of dishonesty. Sadly Sir, it appears that my advice was not heeded.

You are the President of Nigeria. Your success will be beneficial to me, and to millions of my fellow citizens. Likewise, your failure, will negatively impact me, and millions of my fellow citizens.

Telling you the real situation at every point in time will lead you to success. Hiding things from you, will lead to failure. It is my duty to you, and to my country, to tell you the facts always. I do not do blind support Sir, it is not in my blood, and will never be. I do not do blind opposition either. I say things, as I see them, regardless of how painful some of my peers may find such statements. It is both a weakness, and a strength. How you see it Sir, depends on your disposition, and I still like to believe Sir, that you of all people, see such truths as positives.

Sir, your government is losing momentum, and a large part of it is, at least to my mind, because the people around you, those you have chosen to surround yourself with, are being dishonest with you. They have continued to tell you the same tales that you were told during the campaign, rather than sit you down and have an honest discussion with you about the state of things. They are living in denial about the realities on the ground, from the price of oil, to the pump price of petrol, to the state of the economy, to Boko Haram. They are living in denial about the constitutionality of some of your actions, actions which are eroding your credibility as a man of integrity.

I'll end this letter Sir, by asking a very simple question, a question who's answer is meant for you, and you alone: All things being equal, in thirty years, you will be gone, I'll still be here, how would you want me to describe you to my grandchildren?

__to read the first letter by a Concerned Nigerian Citizen in the Diaspora, CLICK HERE

*Written by Chxta Bee Learn more »

At the invitation of the Obama administration, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is making an official visit to Washington, D.C. from July 20 to July 24. The visit is an opportunity to reset a bilateral relationship that had chilled under former President Goodluck Jonathan, in part because of the Nigerian security service’s human rights violations in the fight against the Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram, and in part because of vocal criticism from the Jonathan administration that the United States was not doing enough to help in the struggle against Boko Haram.

Now, an indication of the importance of the visit to the Obama administration is that President Buhari will be staying at Blair House, the official guest house, even though this is not a state visit, which are usually arranged long in advance and more ceremonial than substantive.

Nigeria matters to the United States. It is by far the largest country in Africa by population, has the continent’s largest economy, and has been an important strategic partner for the United States. However, Nigeria also faces difficult challenges. Its Boko Haram insurgency destabilizes it and its neighbors. Domestic corruption is rampant. In the March elections, Buhari campaigned on a platform of restoring Nigerian security and fighting corruption, but now the Nigerian electorate’s expectations about what he can accomplish in the short term appear unrealistically high.

In the Obama administration, Buhari has special credibility because he was elected president in Nigeria’s freest elections since the 1999 restoration of civilian government. The Obama administration has hailed them as a major step forward for Nigerian and African democracy. Buhari is also the first opposition candidate to be elected president in Nigeria’s history. According to official statements, President Buhari will meet separately with President Obama, Vice President Biden, the secretaries of state, treasury, and commerce, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the deputy secretary of defense, and the U.S. trade representative.

As for Congress, President Buhari will meet with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus. President Buhari will also make formal speeches at the Corporate Council for Africa and at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This is an exceptional turnout for Washington, D.C. in July and with Congress in recess.

In keeping with his emphasis on simplicity, President Buhari’s delegation will be very small. He will be accompanied by five governors, including that of Borno state, which is where Boko Haram has been most active. Buhari has thus far made no cabinet appointments. Accordingly, he is traveling with the permanent secretaries [senior civil servants that run departments in the absence of cabinet ministers] of defense, foreign affairs, industry, and trade and investment.

According to official Nigerian spokesmen, President Buhari’s agenda is to advance bilateral cooperation in combating Boko Haram, to encourage growth in U.S. trade and investment in Nigeria, and to garner support for his signature “war on corruption.”

Mirroring that agenda, the White House press secretary said, “President Obama looks forward to discussing with President Buhari our many shared priorities including U.S.-Nigeria cooperation to advance a holistic, regional approach to combating Boko Haram, as well as Nigeria’s efforts to advance important economic and political reforms that will help unlock its full potential as a regional and global leader.”

The Buhari visit provides the opportunity to advance the bilateral relationship. However, it is unlikely to be the occasion of dramatic announcements or initiatives.

The day after President Buhari departs Washington, President Obama leaves for Ethiopia and Kenya. Obama has been criticized for visiting two countries that, while U.S. allies on security issues, have questionable human rights and elections records. Some African watchers have questioned President Obama’s omission of Nigeria on his trip, especially following the successful March elections. The Buhari visit to Washington may address those concerns.

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