Presidential monologue – Part 18

Mr. President, let me address you this morning on a very weighty issue that has been in the public domain in recent times. It is the allegation that your administration is involved in some backroom discussion with the United States and France over hosting their military base in Nigeria.

Our compatriots, namely, 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 of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Jibrin Ibrahim of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD); Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani) of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC); and YZ Ya’u of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) sounded the alarm bell.

They noted your administration and other Gulf of Guinea countries were being lobbied by the Americans and the French for defence agreements. Also, the point was made that such agreements would pose an enormous danger to our country while underscoring the failure of these powers in the Sahel whose security headache increased even with their presence.

Equally, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), in a telling statement titled “Foreign Military Bases In Nigeria – A Threat to National Security And Sovereignty”  and signed by  Comrade Muhammed Ishaq, the party’s Acting National Publicity Secretary, warned against any form of agreement with the U.S. and Some European power to relocate their military bases in the Sahel to Nigeria. The party particularly noted the danger inherent in such an agreement, namely, that “The relocation of these foreign military bases to our beloved nation carries with it a myriad of potential dangers that could adversely affect the security, sovereignty, and overall well-being of our dear country”.

Professor Akinyemi, a former Nigerian Foreign Minister and a student of power politics, was plain on this matter. With a tone of incredulity, he pointed out the trajectory of attempts by the Americans to install a military base in Nigeria and the counter-productiveness of their presence in the Sahel, the reason Niger and others sent them packing. And warned that the country risked being swamped by the jihadists, ISIS, and the east-west confrontation.

Your administration has refuted the allegation as utter falsehood with a caveat that “The Nigerian government already enjoys foreign cooperation in tackling ongoing security challenges, and the President remains committed to deepening these partnerships, with the goal of achieving the national security objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda”. The Americans have also weighed in on the matter and denied knowledge of any such conversation while emphasising their cooperation with Nigeria on security matters based on mutual respect.

The last time you goofed on a matter of international relations was when the military took over in Niger. Your reaction was to the extent of proposing ECOWAS military intervention. The kneejerk approach has since fractured the sub-regional organisation. Alhaji Sule Lamido, Nigeria’s former foreign minister, drove home the point of your naivety over the matter.

Although your administration has denied the allegations of any form of military pact, I believe that there is no smoke without fire. Nigerians may have been mismanaged by its leadership but are jealous of their sovereignty. We fought the Anglo-Nigeria Defence Pact of 1961 under the Balewa government. Under the presidency of Umaru Yar’Adua, the same matter of establishing a military base was on the front burner, and Yar’Adua was thoroughly advised on the matter during his visit to Washington and he took heed. Recall the opposition to the presence of the Military Professional Resources Initiative (MPRI), a consortium of retired American military officers to train the Nigerian army. General Victor Malu, the then army chief, objected to this and argued that they had nothing to impact on the Nigerian army and they were out to spy on Nigeria. Indeed, the first thing they did was to ask for our defence doctrine.

To be sure, the Americans have been seized of the matter of a suitable base for Africa Command since 2007, and many African countries have turned cold shoulders. View it for what it is, an instrument of domination. They went to the extent of recruiting African scholars to sell the ideas of the command base to their fellow Africans. It did not work. In a volume titled “West Africa and the U.S. War on Terror”, I advised against it in my chapter, “U.S. War on Terrorism and Civil-Military Relations in West Africa”. They had used the pretext of ungoverned spaces in the continent as a rationale for the Africa Command.

Nevertheless, it has lily pads in several African states, especially Ghana, with its coveted Tamale airport. The CIA is also active in Ghana. Nana Akufo-Addo, the Ghanaian President, contemptuously reported a fellow African country, Burkina Faso, to the Americans at a summit in Washington over the presence of the Russians.

The Ghanaians were so disappointed by the action of their president and expressed it overly. Oh history is a guide, in this case, it meant nothing to the Ghanaian president. Under President John Rawlings and Thomas Sankara, the armies of their countries marched side by side during major events guided by African brotherhood and solidarity.   While your government is basking on the fact that it “enjoys foreign cooperation in tackling ongoing security challenges”, and is committed to deepening these partnerships, with the goal of achieving the national security objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda”, a word of advice. I will say, be careful. Whatever legitimacy your administration enjoys will ultimately depend on the people and their reception of your policies. Neither a Macron nor Biden can save you from the wrath of Nigerians.