- Express Sympathy With Victims Of Protests
The governments of the United Kingdom and the United States, on Wednesday, August 7, expressed their strong support for President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform initiatives, emphasizing their crucial role in ensuring Nigeria’s future prosperity.
In a joint statement, British High Commissioner to Nigeria Richard Montgomery and US Ambassador Richard Mills encouraged the government to maintain open dialogue in addressing the grievances of protesters, fostering a peaceful and constructive resolution to the ongoing demonstrations.
The envoys also commended Nigeria’s security agencies for exercising restraint and avoiding the use of lethal force in managing the protests, promoting a peaceful and stable environment for economic growth and development.
The duo spoke in Abuja during the briefing of the Diplomatic Corps by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar.
Montgomery commended the synergy of the policing agencies for avoiding lethal force.
He also said they noted the commitment of the government to enable a peaceful process.
He said: Before I ask my full question, commend the synergy and policing agencies for avoiding lethal force. This is a big and complex situation, and we have noted very clearly the commitment to enabling a peaceful process and the commitment to policing proportionately.
“And I just wanted to put on record our appreciation of some of the handling. We have a lot of empathy for people facing significant hardship. The level of inflation is significant, and I would endorse my colleagues’ question and interest in the dialogue and the peace-building that needs to continue in Nigeria given the hardship that people face.
“But I also want to put on record that we fully support the big and important economic reforms that are going on in Nigeria at the moment, which we see as essential for the future prosperity of the country, and indeed the economic relationships of many of us here with this major power. “
On his part, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills also expressed his sympathy for those who have suffered from the protest.
Mills however said the reforms were necessary and had the support of the US.
He said: “And let me echo others here by thanking you for bringing us together for this useful and informative briefing. I also want to take this platform just to express my Embassy’s condolences for the loss of life and suffering that Nigeria has seen over the past several days.
“And let me echo my British colleague’s comments that we understand the difficulty that the reforms President Tinubu and his administration have undertaken have imposed. “We know that these reforms are necessary, and we have supported and worked with the administration as they have carried them out.”
