Why it is difficult for USAID to fund Boko Haram In Nigeria – US Ambassador refutes claims | READ MORE
The United States of America’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has disagreed with claims that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds ter-rorist organisations like Boko Haram in Nigeria.
Meeting with members of the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja on Wednesday night, Mills said;
“There is absolutely no evidence of such diversion, and if we ever had evidence that any programme funding was being misused by Boko Haram, we would immediately investigate it with our Nigerian partners.
“We cooperate in investigations with the Nigerian government. I can assure you that we have strict policies and procedures to ensure that USAID funding or any other US assistance, whether from USAID, the Department of Defence, or the State Department, is not diverted to terrorist groups like Boko Haram.
“So, when it comes to Boko Haram, the United States stands with Nigeria in wanting to rid this country of the scourge that this organisation represents.
“Let me be clear—there is no friend of Nigeria stronger in condemning Boko Haram’s violence and disregard for human life than the United States. We have designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organisation since 2013, blocking the group from transferring assets to the US and allowing us to arrest and seize its members.”
Recall that on February 13, a US Congressman, Scott Perry, accused USAID of funding terrorist groups, including Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, claimed during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency.
The session, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” examined allegations of misappropriation of taxpayer funds.
Perry said that USAID’s financial activities have directly benefited terror groups worldwide, including Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS.
He alleged that USAID’s annual budget of $697 million, including cash payments to Islamic schools (madrasas), may have inadvertently financed extremist training camps and ter-ror groups.
“Who gets some of that money? Your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, and terro-rist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry stated.
