An Abuja based public affairs analyst, Ambassador Abraham James, has called on President Bola Tinubu and other leaders of ECOWAS nations to tread carefully over the agitation for a military action against the military junta in Niger, warning that such military action in Niger will decimate the fabrics of West African unity and trigger famine, killings and unimaginable retaliation.
According to Ambassador James, instead of President Tinubu and other ECOWAS leaders falling to the temptation to war, they should exploit diplomacy, political approach, and protect the lives and properties of ECOWAS citizens residing in Niger.
Amb. Abraham James, in his comment titled “The dynamics of a proxy war with a Friendly Alliance: Betrayal vs Hostility “and made available to newsmen via electronic mail, noted that Nigeria has always been the Big Brother that carries the burdens of others right from time. From the Liberation of Apartheid South Africa, Namibia, Uganda, Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso , but not Niger, for any reason, why now? “
“The ECOWAS has fifteen member states, only eight have been active in the extraordinary meeting and five chiefs of defence sitting to decide the military options for the sub-region ,is it that Nigeria is looking for recognition, relevance or reclamation, is Niger an annex that must be occupied, else , there is no justification for the pronouncement of war against Niger?
The junta agreed they err, where is the place of diplomacy, political approach, and other civic responsibility ECOWAS has to the citizens of Niger and other countries residing in Niger.”
“ If Niger people feel uncomfortable with the junta, they will revolt, but here we have a people excited and jubilating, is ECOWAS in the best position to decide for countries what they want? Can any head of government allow others to decide what must be done in their countries?
Leaders in ECOWAS must not allow their fears to haunt and hunt them. He that comes to equity must come with clean hands. He that has not sinned should throw the first stone. Who among them can claim clean hands.”
“Niger as Nigeria’s long standing ally and neighbor that shared cultural affinities, traditions, family ties, economic, educational values and social relationships for years, can Nigeria allow itself to be dragged by power drunk and sit tight dictators and exploiters of their people to cut the ties and create undue enmity that will last generations?
“Nigeria must not forget there is no real border lines, barriers or frontiers to stop Niger’s retaliation and offensive, should military invasion be the last and suppose option for ECOWAS warlords.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must realize Niger is a sovereign country like Nigeria and other ECOWAS states, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau are standby forces that will support Niger as a colleague joining their league. Russia is looking for a spoiler to frustrate US interest. US has a military base in Niger, they have no option than to want to protect the base as an interest,
“Niger has uranium, the raw material for the military needs of super powers. Nigeria must think outside the box to avoid being used as a launching pad. We, as Nigerians, have our peculiar issues lasting a decade plus, the Northern flanks of Nigeria is either to be sacrificed from Niger, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa and Yobe states to the effects and aftermath of a proxy, unprovoked war”.
Ambassador Abraham James, however, called on the need for the nation’s Intelligence agencies to rise up and live up to expectation by providing President Bola Tinubu with enough intelligence to guide his decision on military action in Niger,” It is high time the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency, Office of the National Security Adviser and other military and security arms of government advise against mustering to participate in a war that has no bearing and cost Nigeria nothing, but will cost us more than we bargained for as a country and as a people”
