Northern leaders have urged the Nigerian government to desist processes of foreign relocation of military bases from the Sahel to Nigeria.
In a letter sent to the President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly, the dignitaries cautioned that allowing the United States (US) and French governments to relocate to Nigeria poses great danger to the country.
Signatories to the letter includes Abubakar Mohammed of the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training (CEDDERT); Kabiru Chafe, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, from the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP); Attahiru Jega, former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Otjers include Jibrin Ibrahim of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD); Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani) of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CCISLAC); and YZ Ya’u of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD). In the letter, the leaders claimed that the US and French governments have allegedly been lobbying Nigeria and other countries in the region, to sign new defence pacts allowing them to redeploy their expelled troops.
They also expressed concerns about the economic and environmental impacts of hosting foreign military bases.
“This is for the simple reason that terrorism, far from abating, has in fact risen dramatically since the US began its operations in the region”.
“Economically, the presence of these bases could potentially divert government funds and resources away from critical areas such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development toward maintaining and securing these military installations.”
“This redirection of resources could stunt economic growth and exacerbate poverty in a country where much of the population already lives under challenging conditions.
“Environmentally, the construction and operation of military bases can lead to significant degradation of the local environment, deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, and loss of biodiversity, which are detrimental to agricultural communities and indigenous populations.”
“The letter added that the presence of foreign military bases in Nigeria would worsen already strained relations between Nigeria and neighboring French countries.
“However, there is a widespread apprehension that signing of the pact by Nigeria would have wide ranging implications for defense and internal security of the country.”
