The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, has revealed why the Federal Government of Nigeria suddenly terminated the military training agreement with his country.
According to Entwistle, the Federal Government was unable to meet its side of the agreement, which was to provide equipment while the US provided world class military trainers.
Speaking on a Channels Television programme monitored by our correspondent on Friday, Entwistle explained that the trainers were brought to Nigeria but had to leave when there was no equipment to work with.
He said: “We have good relations with the Air Force, Navy and Army at the working level.
“We are in touch everyday working together.
“Late last year, I told President (Goodluck) Jonathan that the US wants Nigeria to win the war on terror and we stand ready to help in any and appropriate way.
“We have already started training, at the request of the Nigerian Government, to train one of its battalions up to a world class standard.
“We brought in the best military trainers in the world.
“But the agreement with the government was that we will provide the trainers in order to do this properly, the Nigerian army will provide the equipment needed to do this training.
“It is a partnership.
“We are doing this together.
“It is not something we are doing for you.
“Training started.
“But sadly, it got to a point that we had to stop because the equipment was not available.
“And after several weeks of waiting, we could not keep the trainers here and the Nigerian Government decided to end the training.
“I say this with great regret.
“It was a great opportunity to train a world class battalion but unfortunately it stopped at the request of your government.
“But this doesn’t have to derail our cooperation.
“Whatever reasons were for that, we continue to move forward.
“As I have said, we could do training again in the future.
“Sure everything is possible.
“But we have to talk about the details very carefully from the beginning because we do not want to experience this again.”
The Envoy, however, maintained that the relationship between both countries is not strained.
Entwistle said: “I don’t think the US and Nigeria are experiencing strained relations.
“I think we are in good shape.”
He also refuted the insinuation that the US refused to sell arms to Nigeria, adding: “Ideas that there are arms embargo and that the US has cut Nigeria off is nonsense.”
Enwithsle admitted that the US declined sale of Cobra Helicopter to Nigeria but explained the rationale behind the decision.
He said: “No country is doing more to support Nigeria in its fight against terror right now.
“We can’t talk about the details in public, but I can assure you that we are with you every step of the way.
“We have a number of discussions right now for various pieces of equipment in the air, on the ground and army personnel carriers.
“We share information everyday with your army that they can use operationally.
“The notion that we have cut you off is nonsense.
“When we transfer or consider transferring arms to any country, by US law, there is a process that we have to go through.
“We look at: does this make sense for the country and other human rights considerations.
“Sometimes the answer is no much more often the answer is yes.
“You were right about the Cobra Helicopter when the answer after careful deliberation was no.
“We have a number of other things in the pipeline.
“So that water under the bridge is focused on the present and the future and the cooperation is excellent.”