The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for denying plans to host USA and France military bases in Nigeria, while blasting Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) for supporting such plans.
ACF, in a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, Tuesday said the fact that the American and French bases were rejected by fellow ECOWAS countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger Republic because it is unhelpful and/or detrimental to the interests of such African countries cannot be good for Nigeria, due to its shared destinies in unbroken historical, socio-cultural, economic and political ties with other ECOWAS nay African countries, which predated colonial days.
“The ACF welcomes the statement by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, stating that the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has no plans to allow foreign military bases in Nigeria. The FGN must be appreciated for taking such a bold and reassuring stance. For ACF, the development represents a victory for all eminently patriotic Nigerians who signaled readiness to campaign against the “rumoured” plans to host US and French military bases in Nigeria following their rejection in Republics of Burkina Faso and Niger.
“ACF is greatly disappointed with a statement, credited to a non-governmental organisation concerned with promoting human rights, Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), supporting the possible establishment of American and French military bases in Nigeria. ACF finds such support shocking, shortsighted and against everything Nigeria stands for. We are an independent, sovereign African country in solidarity with all sister African states in the struggles against all vestiges of stranglehold of colonialism and neo-colonialism, that have held down Africa in conditions of underdevelopment.
“Enough is known of experiences of countries like Burkina Faso and Niger that have hosted foreign military bases for years. Such bases have to date served only the interests of the advanced countries. Where ever they are located, the foreign military outposts operate outside of the control and in utter disregard for the national laws of their hosts, respecting only their own convenient rules. That sister African countries will, on the basis of their experience with the foreign military units, reject their presence is enough reason to dissuade Nigeria from even contemplating hosting them.
“For ACF, the prospect of locating foreign military bases is disconcerting and their many consequences will impact on the lives of our people, and will only exacerbate and not reduce the security risks and threats that people of the north face. It is for the above reasons that ACF: Commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government’s denial of plans to host foreign military bases on Nigeria’ soil.”
