Is it fair for Nigeria to have been be put on a list of 14 nations considered sponsors of terrorism or “countries of interest?”
While complaining that the screw-up in the case of Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab rests primarily with U.S. intelligence agencies, this editorial from Nigeria’s Daily Independent lacks the reflexive defensiveness seen from the country in recent days. It contains plenty of sharp criticism and some unsettling facts about Nigerian safety practices and the state of that nation’s society.
The editorial from the Daily Independent says in part:
We agree that Abdul Mutallab wasn’t “… influenced in Nigeria; he was not recruited or trained in Nigeria; he was not supported whatsoever in Nigeria.” Nevertheless, Americans are understandably jittery.
The moral honesty being shown by Washington D.C. is sadly not being replicated in Abuja [Nigeria’s capital]. There is plenty wrong with security at our airports and this issue will have to be addressed. For example, only a few days before Umar Abdul Mutallab passed undetected through Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, a massive power outage hit the airport for several hours, allowing hundreds of passengers to board aircraft unchecked!
Of course, there’s also the age-old national bugbear of corruption and circumvention of proper procedure. For example, a host of privileged Nigerians aren’t always checked at the airport. Absurdly, they often arrive just a few minutes before departure, simply banter with security guards and walk aboard flights unchallenged. In view of the current situation, this nonsense has to stop. A holistic review of security at all of the nation’s points of entry and departure must now be undertaken. All loopholes must be meticulously sealed. … We must stress that there must be no exceptions, no matter how high and privileged a passenger may be.
EDITORIAL
January 6, 2010
Nigeria – The Daily Independent – Original Article (English)
Federal Information Minister Dora Akunyili’s “Rebranding Nigeria Campaign” is going through some difficult times. For once we agree with Akunyili, who has issued a statement saying, “Abdul Mutallab’s behavior isn’t reflective of Nigeria and therefore, should not be used as a yardstick to judge all Nigerians. It is unfair to discriminate against 150 million people because of the behavior of one person.”
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