Nigeria Certainly Has Security Issues – Michael Freeman (Israeli Envoy)
Michael Freeman, the Israeli ambassador to Nigeria, has underlined Israel’s intention to help Nigeria combat the country’s escalating insecurity.
According to Daily Sun, Freeman revealed this on Thursday in Abuja when Senate Chief Whip Senator Orji Uzor Kalu invited him and a small group of embassy employees to a private engagement and dinner.
He stated that Israel will depend on the Nigerian government to designate other areas of need for their support in addition to assisting Nigeria with intelligence collection and training security personnel.
“I’ve been in the country for only six months and I’m beginning to learn and understand the wonderful country and people of Nigeria. We are looking to see where we can partner with Nigeria. Certainly on security issues, on agriculture and on technology. And we’re looking to see where but it’s for the government and for the people of Nigeria to point us in the direction where we can help them work together.
“But as the senator said, certainly in areas of training and in areas of others we’ve been, we would be very interested in sharing best practice and sharing intelligence. We would certainly be interested in working together,” Michael Freeman discussed.
Earlier in his remarks, Kalu stated that the Senate was ready to assist Israel and Nigeria’s cooperation to reduce insecurity in Nigeria in terms of ammunition and training.
However, Kalu identified two crucial areas of agriculture and security that Nigeria must learn from Israel in order to address the country’s food security and other security issues.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu further stated “This ambassador has just been here for six months. And the Senate will do every effort to ensure that the next appropriation is directed toward Israel and that Israel will visit us to provide crucial training in security-related sectors.
“We are doing everything possible to maintain our relationship with the Israelis and then. You know? The Israeli history is a successful history. And if Nigeria can learn two things from the Israelis, which are security and agriculture, we shall make a lot of progress and we’ll go a long way.
“I don’t want to talk too much about what Israelis can do. I have one of the agricultural companies that revolutionised Agriculture in the northern part of Nigeria in terms of equipment and all, “Sotadan Suki” used to be their chairman and I hope that we can find common ground with the Israeli companies. The government and people should talk about two things –agriculture and security.”
Sahara Reporters
