My Take on Johnnie Carson's Testimony on Nigeria to the U.S. House of Representatives

-Testimonies such as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson's helps mislead America not to understand the real problems, thus stymied better solutions to these problems

Running in and sweating profusely from the hot sun on Tuesday, July 10, 2012, and being my first time sitting in a federal hearing at the United States House of Representatives, I was curious, though sat and subsequently stood quietly with my writing pad/phone. I was inclined to hear what those testifying as American witness will say. The session was indeed breathtaking, though mostly misleading on U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson's part.

Let me clearly state that I without reservation respect the humanity or qualifications, statuses and services of Carson, but as mentioned above, his testimony on Nigeria was misleading at best.

"Nigeria is a dominant economic and financial force across West Africa. It is the second largest recipient of American direct private sector investment in Africa, and the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to the United States," Carson said. "Nigeria is our largest trading partner in Africa, and our largest export market for wheat."

These facts above from Carson are correct, but they are talking-points that have been used to undermine the real facts of the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian peoples, which is freedom and justice from the lazy yet oppressive, greedy, incompetent and deadly central government. The bilateral relationship (oil business especially) between Nigeria and America has been repeatedly used as a blindfold, thus robbed suffering citizens of effective listening ear and prompt intervention.

As it were, the terrorist activities of Boko Haram dominated Carson and his colleague's (Honorable Earl Gast, Assistant Administrator Bureau for Africa-U.S. Agency Development) testimony. Not only did Carson who had most of the day claim that the terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, killing Christians and moderate Muslims is doing what it does due to poverty that is massive in the northern part of Nigeria compared to other areas. He also performed like a Nigerian spokesman, though had the responsibility to inform the House truthfully to the best of his knowledge.

Most Nigerian audience sited frowned at the level of insincerity or a seeming lack of knowledge of Nigeria's problems Carson exhibited in his testimony. Also, Honorable Gast, among other reasoning claimed Nigeria is more decentralized than America. He forgot or didn't knowing that American states are 100 percent economically viable and independent than about if not more than 90 percent of states in Nigeria, which can't function without oil money from the Federation Account.


The Federal Government of Nigeria also control these states in appalling manners: all land where oil is found, according to the Federal Constitution belong to the Federal Government or federation. This is contrary to the popular norm in workable federations such as America, where Texas, for instance, control its land and oil resources and can also get support from the federal government while paying its tax share. Such obnoxious laws as the above are the major reasons indigenous peoples such as Ogoni, Ijaws and others of Niger delta have revolted against the government of Nigeria.


Of course, such draconian laws doesn't apply to non-oil land or states, which is owned mostly by the North, Western and Eastern regions. Oil which keeps Nigeria without which there is no country is, of course, predominantly in the South-South or South Eastern region-the Niger delta considered minority region designated for exploitation and oppression by the north, west and east which calls themselves majority group but not in supplying the resources to power the country.


Regarding corruption in Nigeria, Carson didn't mention or refused to see massive corruption in the presidency and National Assembly, rather praised government's efforts on economic development and the tackling of corruption and fraud, which is Nigeria's popular trademark.

He also stated that classifying Boko Haram as terrorist group would embolden it, yet 3 members have been classified as terrorists and can't enter the US. It seems entering the US is more important than the many lives: children, women and men which includes United Nations employees murdered in cold blood alongside massive destruction of properties by the terrorist group.

"Boko Haram is composed of two organizations, a larger organization focused primarily on discrediting the Nigerian Government, and a smaller more dangerous group that is increasingly sophisticated and increasingly lethal. This smaller group has developed links with AQIM and has a broader, anti-Western agenda," Carson said.


What Carson refused to add is that the primary objective of Boko Haram, which took advantage of the massive rigging by the President Jonathan team in the 2011 presidential election, is to impose Sharia on Nigerians, to making the country an Islamic state.

Carson refused to clear the difference between the group and its members. If 3 members have been designated or classified as terrorists and restricted due to their actions in the group, why not the entire group, was the feeling in the audience, including members of the House. In short, Pastor Ayo Aritsejufor, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) declared in his testimony: "This would be equivalent of designating Bin Laden as a terrorist, but failing to designate Al Qaeda as a terrorist organization."


Although I understand the sense in a careful analysis before individual or group's classification or any decision-making. In short, independent scholar Darren Kew, Ph.D at McCormack Graduate School University of Massachusetts Boston, who testified based on his work on Nigeria stressed the need for America to be careful in its policy toward Nigeria, especially when considering the designation of Boko Haram as a terrorist group to avoid a cantankerous consequences arising from such categorization.


The group's activities are obvious thus doesn't warrant downgrading in the name of taming escalation. Boko Haram is in effect emboldened by not being properly designated as a terrorist organization. This is more like refusing to call out a petty thief for the reason that he/she will steal more, when we know such thief would withdraw, hide or completely stop stealing in most cases if caught and exposed. Doing the contrary signals approval; and we may recall the story of a thief who bite the ear of his mother before he's killed at the firing squad for refusing to caution and stop him when he began stealing and bringing stuff home.


Is America, the international community waiting for a full blown Muslim-Christian war (which is possible or other large scale national crisis), or that a million people should first die before Boko Haram can be adequately classified and worked on for a stop of its egregious activities?

Meanwhile, on poverty in the north as basis for Boko Haram's actions according to Carson, he (Carson) also refused to mention or didn't know that during Nigeria's 50 years existence Northerners have ruled the country more than the Western, South-Eastern or South-Southern regions combined, and have usurped oil from Ogoni/Niger delta to create the most states for the north; due to this multiplicity of states as a means of siphoning Ogoni/Niger delta oil resource, the north has majority in the National Assembly, thus their voting power that fits the high-level ethnic politics in Nigeria.


If state creation is a means of bringing development to the people, it implies the north should have been more developed and the people empowered than others. Carson didn't touch on this perspective, especially why northern leaders didn't develop the region if they didn't, and if he knew.

He claimed the cravings and actions of Boko Haram are only those of isolated people and not the mind of the vast majority of Northerners so didn't include highly placed individuals/intellectuals and the eminent Northern groups such as Arewa Consultative Forum, a mouthpiece of the north. This group and individuals have said, based on the responses from the actions of this Boko Haram that Nigeria, can break up now if the people so wish, because the North can survive on its own without the south.

Why? It's because Northerners who held and still holding some of the most valuable positions in the government are no longer in places such as president, minister of petroleum and others. The current Nigerian president whose vice is from the north, though still under the tutelage of Northern oligarchy, is from oil-rich Niger delta.

Also, when asked how Boko Haram is funded Carson claimed the group is sponsored with robbery, other criminal proceeds, thus failed to acknowledge that certain persons including lawmakers from the north have been accused, even arrested for sponsoring and encouraging the terrorist group. Carson also said Boko Haram existed under late President .Umaru Yar'Adua before Pres. Jonathan, who is said to be a Christian, but didn't say the group had unknown (no) presence until now that a Christian is the president.

In another development, it's true as Carson said that gas flaring persist in Nigeria because of government's failure to enact laws that will regulate the poisonous corporate activity. What isn't true is that it isn't the non-cooperation from U.S. and European oil corporations (as Carson claimed) that allows flaring of noxious gases to continue. That is, U.S. corporations have suggested, according to Carson, that government covert gas into usable product and also put in place regulatory measures, but it failed to do so.

It's common knowledge that American and European corporations such as Chevron-Exxon Mobil and $hell Oil are greedy, corrupt and corrupting, brutal, thus deadly in Africa. They lobby, bribe and uses African leaders (Nigeria, for instance, where $hell dictate the pace, including who to be killed so it can have its way) to their advantage alone while the people suffers. Africans or Nigerians for example, are killed by corporate dollars and poisoned with deadly hydrocarbons-related substances such as benzene associated with cancer and the weakening of the immune system among other harms done to the body. Carson didn't say or didn't know that $hell Oil, which has the biggest presence in Nigeria failed in about 2008 and subsequently to stop all gas flaring in Nigeria as it promised.


In respect of testimony against Carson's, CAN president Oritsejufor who spoke for 5 minutes like Mr. Anslem Johnmiller, who represented MOSOP/Ogoni and Darren Kew respectively, before the session adjourned Sendai, argued saying:"Boko Haram has waged a systematic campaign of terror and violence. They seek an end to Western influence and removal of the Christian presence in Nigeria; this is outright terrorism not legitimate political activities or the airing of grievances."


"For Christians in Nigeria to know peace they must accept Islam as the only true religion," said Oritsejufor, who concluded that "It is hypocritical for the United States and the International Community to say that they believe in freedom and equality, when their actions do not support those who are being persecuted."


Johnmiller, who accused the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan of playing ethnic politics with the August 4, 2011 UNEP report on Ogoni and has rehabilitated armed Ijaw youths (from the president's tribe) with monthly salary,contracts and sponsorship abroad for studies while ignoring the peaceful agitation of the Ogoni people, urged the United States to impress on Nigeria to immediately implement the UNEP report on Ogoni, and also resettle Ogonis who are languishing in Benin Republic having escaped from Nigeria's persecution. Johnmiller also said "President Johnathan is sending the wrong message by rewarding criminals and armed youths and at the same time ignoring peaceful agitation for fundamental rights of the Ogoni people."


He also appealed to America to deny Nigerian officials involved in corruption visa to the U.S. "The United States should continue with its strategic engagement with Nigeria but such engagement should include a carrot and stick approach," Johnmiller said.

In conclusion, my take on Carson's testimony is that Nigeria, is a strong U.S. friend/oil supplier, a comment he and other officials and House members made repeatedly, thus both nations have a relationship that must be kept at all cost. At the end, the Nigerian peoples suffer due to Carson's kind of testimonies.


Misleading testimonies such as Carson's don't allow the U.S. understand and appreciate the real problems. Therefore such testimonies stymied better solutions to these problems to the detriment of the common people.

Although it's Nigeria's responsibility to solve its own problems, U.S. will continue despite billions of dollars the Nigerian Government gets from the oil industry it forced from Niger deltans and uncontrolled corruption and mismanagement in the presidency, and by most government officials and the private sector, to give aid to the country. Such foreign aid shared among government officials for the most and not used for services intended shall be based substantially on this misleading testimony, whereas a freeze would bring about huge reforms and change. By Carson and Company's testimony and other resolvable factors ignored, freedom and justice, safety or security and peace stays elusive in Nigeria and beyond.

Ben Ikari is the Executive Director of African Cultural and Fundamental Rights Council (AFCRC) USA; a Human and Environmental Rights crusader; expert on Ken Saro-Wiwa, Ogoni and Niger delta struggles. For questions, concerns or collaboration, feel free to reach me at [email protected] or 314-827-2874

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Articles by Ben Ikari