US Ambassador Addresses Allegations: USAID and Boko Haram Unlinked

There is no proof that the US Agency for International Development is providing financial support to Boko Haram or any other terrorist organization, according to Richard Mills, the US ambassador to Nigeria.

No country denounces Boko Haram's crimes more vehemently than the United States, Mills said following a meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja late Wednesday night.

He gave everyone his word that the US administration would cooperate with the Nigerian government to look into any evidence that might be discovered.

Remember how Congressman Scott Perry charged USAID on February 13 with providing financial support to terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram?

Mohammed Yusuf established the terrorist organization Boko Haram in 2002. Promoting Sunni Islam and eradicating Shia Islam in Nigeria were among the group's goals.

Many families have been relocated, property worth billions of Naira has been destroyed, and thousands of Nigerians have died throughout the years.

Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican, said this before the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency's first hearing.

"The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud" was the subject of the session, which addressed claims of embezzlement of public monies.

"Who receives a portion of that money? Does anyone in the room recognize that name? Because of your money, your money, $697 million a year, plus the cash money that is shipped to terrorist training camps, Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and ISIS Khorasan. It's funding that," he stated.

The Senate has therefore urged the directors of the National Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency, as well as National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu, to respond to claims that USAID is involved in terrorist financing.

"The United States has strict policies to prevent USAID or any other US assistance from being diverted to terrorist groups like Boko Haram," the US Ambassador said in answer to a question.

"To be clear, the United States is Nigeria's strongest ally in denouncing Boko Haram's brutality and disrespect for human life," he said. Since 2013, we have classified Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization, which prevents the group from sending assets to the United States and gives us the authority to detain and confiscate its members.

"We work with the Nigerian government on investigations. I can guarantee you that we have stringent standards and processes in place to make sure that funds from USAID or any other US assistance—whether from the State Department, the Department of Defense, or USAID—do not end up in the hands of terrorist organizations like Boko Haram.

"We would look into it right away with our Nigerian partners if we ever got proof that Boko Haram was abusing any program funding, but there is absolutely no evidence of such diversion.

Therefore, the United States supports Nigeria in its efforts to eradicate the evil that Boko Haram stands for in this nation.

He explained that instead of reducing aid, the Trump administration put it on hold for ninety days in order to figure out how to make it more efficient.

"No decisions have been made regarding the future of our assistance, and no assistance has been cut yet," Mills clarified. Actually, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, this has nothing to do with cutting off funding to our allies like Nigeria. It's about improving the efficacy of our aid and coordinating it with the goals and policies of the US government.

This 90-day pause is intended to address that. Waivers are available, nevertheless, for life-saving aid, including HIV patient support, nutrition for mothers and children, and internally displaced persons. And so it goes on. We'll know where we stand in ninety days.

Regarding other issues discussed with the 36 state governors, the US Ambassador mentioned that he outlined the embassy’s vision for the future of the US-Nigerian relationship.

"I told them we are going to concentrate on four major priorities in the upcoming years," he said. Improving the business climate is the first step in boosting investment and trade between Nigeria and the United States.

Second, a renewed emphasis on combating corruption, strengthening Nigerian voices calling for greater transparency, and enhancing accountability and transparency in Nigeria.

Third, we want to be more involved with local governing bodies, states, and subnational levels. As we expand our support and programs, I think the embassy should be more involved in this area.

Finally, we talked about our health care initiatives, which account for a significant portion of US aid to Nigeria. As these initiatives—like polio eradication and HIV case reduction—become successful, we want to make sure they continue and transfer them to the federal and state governments of Nigeria.

According to Mills, the goal is to guarantee the long-term viability of these health initiatives and hand them over to the Nigerian government for efficient administration, thereby contributing to the development of a more robust healthcare future.