The United States Diplomatic
Mission to Nigeria has said the
contribution of the US
government to the
Multinational Joint Task Force
(MNJTF) on Boko Haram is $5
million, not the $5 billion as
reported on Monday by the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN had quoted Linda Thomas-
Greenfield, US assistant
secretary, Bureau of African
Affairs, as saying during a
press briefing with the US
delegation to the African Union
Summit that the US
government donated $5 billion
to the MNJTF.
But in a statement to clarify the
issue, the public affairs division
of the consulate wrote:
“Yesterday, Monday, June 15,
members of the US
government delegation to the
African Union Summit in
Johannesburg, South Africa
briefed reporters on the range
of US engagement in Africa.
“It was widely reported that the
US is offering $5 billion to the
multinational task force to fight
Boko Haram. The U.S.
Embassy wishes to clarify that
the amount is $5 million.”
According online news website,
The Cable, the US Embassy
clarified that at the conference,
a journalist from Punch
Newspaper had asked to know
the assistance that US was
offering to the fight Boko
Haram, seeing the renewed
commitment of Nigeria and its
neighbours to combating the
threat.
It quoted Thomas-Greenfield as
saying: “We have been working
with Nigeria as well as the
other countries in the region, to
address their concerns about
Boko Haram, because we don’t
see this as just a Nigeria
problem.
“And with the new
government, we are having
discussions with them on how
we might bolster our support.
We have already been working
with them on providing
information, providing some
training and support, and we
look, with this new
administration, to see how we
might increase the level of
support that we are providing
to Nigeria.
“At the same time, we have
just announced since I have
been here at the AU, a $5
million contribution to the
MNJTF.
This funding is going to the AU.
We are also providing some
equipment and support, and
we had a number of meetings
with the countries which are
members of the multinational
task force to look at other
areas that we might support.”
Thomas-Greenfield had also
used the opportunity of the
conference to answer
questions relating to US
cooperation with other African
countries in fighting terrorism.
On Chad, she said: “We
actually have a very strong
partnership with the
government of Chad. We have
been working with the Chadian
government and its military,
particularly in their efforts
against Boko Haram.
“We have supported them, and
they have fought against those
who also attacked Mali, and we
will continue to engage with
this government, because they
have been a good partner in
fighting terrorism in the
region.”

Naija government magic been wan start be that! Abi na whisper obama whisper the pledge? How can they explain this mix up? Na Wa oh!