BEVERLY HILLS, January 12, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to provide an offer of asylum in Nigeria to President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia as a way of boosting mediation into the current presidential conundrum threatening to cause unrest in the West African country.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Sani Zorro (Jigawa APC) who said such open offer would strengthen the hands of the mediators.
“Grant him asylum, and his family, if that would restore peace to The Gambia, if that is what it would take, then Nigeria should be ready for it,” the lawmaker said.
In her contribution, the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, said the motion is in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives.
She stated that Nigeria would be required to intervene and solve whatever problems arise from the impasses, pointing out that the creation of a soft landing through asylum may provide an alternative.
“If it comes to this, so that The Gambia does not degenerate into another unstable African country,” Ukeje said.
Hon. Sam Onuigbu (Abia PDP) pointed out that the offer is a cheaper and safer option, as Nigerians are well invested in The Gambia.
“We did a similar thing in Liberia, and today Liberia is being celebrated as a growing democracy. We all know if there is trouble, Nigeria would be required to intervene,” he said.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers opposed the motion on grounds that the offer would send a wrong signal to dictators with sit-tight syndrome.
Responding to such lawmakers, the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, urged them to critically examine their position, noting that the offer of asylum to Jammeh does not indicate support for dictatorship.
According to him, “If it is put before him and he rejects it, fine, but it will clear that the people of Nigeria, through the parliament offered such.
“If crisis erupts in that country and refugees spill over, can we handle it while also dealing with our IDPs? If it comes to confrontation, Nigeria will be required to put boots on the ground. Can we afford that? Our military is already engaged in the North-east, in the Niger Delta and now in Southern Kaduna. So let us be guided,” Dogara advised.
