New York, December 13, 2007--Nigeria President Umaru Yar’Adua while visiting United States President George W. Bush in White House somersaulted on his earlier objection to U.S. military’s new Africa Command, AFRICOM.  President Umaru Yar’Adua now says Nigeria will start a partnership with the U.S. on its military’s new Africa Command.

President Yar’Adua and President Bush spoke to reporters after their meeting at the White House in Washington Thursday.
Yar’Adua said he and President Bush discussed African security issues, including the situations in Nigeria’s volatile Niger Delta region and the Gulf of Guinea.

He said Nigeria will partner with AFRICOM to assist not only Nigeria but also the African continent achieves peace and security. It was not immediately clear what form the partnership would take.

Yar’Adua has previously stated that he will not allow his country to be used as base for AFRICOM, and also said he is opposed to the U.S. military establishing bases elsewhere in Africa.

The United States is seeking an African headquarters for AFRICOM, which is currently operating out of Stuttgart, Germany.

The United States says AFRICOM will help African countries confront terrorism, natural disasters and other factors that could affect their stability. But several countries, including Libya and South Africa, have expressed concern the command will increase U.S. influence on the continent.

The reason the Nigeria President quickly changed his stand during a brief meeting with United States President Bush is sending puzzles across Nigeria community in particular, and Africa in general.

Meanwhile, Nigerians residing in United States are viewing the reported arrest of a notorious Nigeria former governor Chief James Ibori on the eve of the visit with a lot of suspicion.

The Nigerian anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had since wanted to arrest the former governor for gross corruption and illegal enrichment charges but found its attempts frustrated by the nation’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, despite rising national clamor for his arrest. The office of Nigeria Attorney General and Minister of Justice is a political appointment, and President Yar’Adua has turned deaf ears on public clamor to try the alleged corrupt former governor who is believed to be his very close friend and supporter.

However, on the eve of the Nigeria President’s visit to the U. S. White House, the Nigerian anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested the former governor in a well-orchestrated ninja-style operation, clearly choreographed for public consumption.

Mr. Ibori was two-term governor of Delta State, one of the oil-producing states in the Niger Delta region known for militant kidnapping of western oil-workers. Many Americans and nationals of other nations working for American oil companies had been kidnapped for ransom by the militants under Chief Ibori’s watch.

Recently an American-Nigeria civil rights and peace activist, Chief, Dr. Mrs. Judith B. Asuni was arrested by Nigeria authorities on trumped-up ‘spy’ charges. Upon release after spending about 40 days in solitary confinement, Chief, Dr. Asuni accused some un-named Nigerian politicians and powerful people behind illegal oil-bunkering and militant-kidnappings in the area uncomfortable with her work for her troubles. Dr. Asuni revealed that Nigeria prosecutors found out that she has dossier of very damaging evidence about government and security officials fuelling Niger Delta crisis which she was ready to air in open court; hence, they quickly dropped the charges against her, citing ‘national interest’.

The well-connected Chief, Dr. Mrs. Asuni had upon her release been talking about her works in the Niger Delta area and her ordeals. She recently visited United States during the thanksgiving period.

At the moment, former governor James Ibori is reportedly facing 103 counts corruption charges. It is unknown whether there will be any kidnapping or terrorism charges added in future, as well.

The reason Nigeria authorities decided to arrest the former governor who may be a person of interest to U. S. authorities shortly before President Yar’Adua departs for his first official visit to Washington D.C. is not clear at the moment.  However, the arrest has been widely seen as Nigeria President’s ‘gift’ to pacify Washington, making many people to wonder whether the Nigeria Attorney General and Minister of Justice will let the governor loose after the visit is over.