The Arewa Consultative Forum has lauded the President Bola Tinubu – led administration’s denial to host foreign military bases in the country.
The group also urged the government “to forever refuse to entertain, let alone accede, to requests to site any foreign military base in Nigeria.”
This was just as the ACF called on northern representatives in the National Assembly, to remain alert and be ready to reject any request for approval to set up foreign military bases in the country.
“Citizens, labour unions, professional associations, academia, media organisations, special interest groups, etc., to continue to remain vigilant and ever ready to campaign against the siting ever of foreign military bases in Nigeria,” it added.
These were contained in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, released to newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday.
NewsNGR reports that the Federal Government had clarified that there were no discussions with foreign countries regarding the establishment of foreign military bases in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the clarification in a statement he signed on Monday.
These come in response to concerns raised by northern leaders about the potential risks associated with such a move.
In a letter dated May 3, 2024, addressed to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly leaders, the northern elders urged the government to resist pressures from the US and France.
But the Minister of Information, debunked the claim, urging the public to disregard false alarms and emphasised the government’s commitment to existing foreign cooperation in addressing security challenges.
This, the pan-northern socio-political organisation, said was a welcome development while rejecting the Human Rights Writers Association(HURIWA)’s support for the possible establishment of American and French military bases in Nigeria.
The ACF’s spokesman noted that it found HURIWA’s endorsement of such a move as patently shocking, shortsighted and against everything Nigeria stands for at the moment.
He said the northern body was relieved by the clarification of the Minister of Information that the Tinubu’s administration had no plan for allowing foreign military bases in the country.
He added that the FGN must be appreciated for taking such a bold and reassuring stance, describing it as a “soothing balm and a thing of pride worth celebrations.”
He said as for the ACF, the development represented a victory for all imminently patriotic Nigerians who signalled readiness to campaign against the “rumoured” plans to host US and French military bases in Nigeria following their rejection in the Republics of Burkina Faso and Niger.
On HURIWA, Baba said the ACF was greatly disappointed with a statement credited to the group, “a supposedly non-governmental organisation concerned with promoting human rights, going by the name the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA).”
“The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) heartily welcomes the statement by the Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation today stating that the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has no plans to allow foreign military bases in Nigeria.
” ACF is greatly disappointed with an earlier statement, credited to a supposedly non-governmental organisation concerned with promoting human rights, going by the name the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), supporting the possible establishment of American (US) and French military bases in Nigeria.
“ACF finds such support patently shocking, shortsighted and against everything Nigeria stands for at the moment.
“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.
HURIWA is being quixotic and perhaps delusional in thinking that military and civilian personnel in the bases will respect Nigeria’s sovereignty or help us fight terrorism and insurgency.
“It is also disappointing that HURIWA would seek to trivialise the patriotic call against foreign military bases as emanating from some “Northern” leaders, as if HURIWA’S condemnation is itself, by equal measure, a “Southern” Nigerian agenda!”, the statement added.