…Vows not to allow base in S’East
From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has vowed to resist any plan by the Federal Government to cede any part of the Southeast to either the United States of America or France for the purpose of building a military base.
IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, who stated this in a statement he released to newsmen at the weekend said: “If the Nigerian government is interested in hosting US and French military bases, such bases should be in the Northern region where terrorists are on rampage.”
He noted that IPOB intelligence unit, MBranch, revealed that the Eastern region would become very unsafe should the USA and French bring down their military bases to the zone.
He noted that the East does not have enough land let alone the one that would warehouse either America or French military base.
IPOB pointed out that currently the people of the region are battling to curtail terrorist attacks ravaging the zone.
The statement reads in part: “We don’t want terrorists to target Biafra land because of US and French military presences. Irrespective of the state-sponsored insecurity, Biafra land remains calm, peaceful and progressive.
“The unconfirmed reports stated that the Nigerian government is in secret discussions with the French and US governments to set up their military bases in Nigeria after being booted out from the Sahel regions of West Africa.
“If the Nigeria government who is desperately seeking legitimacy from the West succumbs to this pressure and allow the establishment of US and French military bases in their country, they will regret their decision.
“If Nigeria is unable to curtail the activities of the local terrorists, what will happen if the foreign terrorists see Nigeria as a potential abode or target. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government has never taken her citizens into consideration in any decision-making and certainly will not consider their citizen’s safety in the decision of hosting foreign military bases as long as dollars are involved.
“If the Nigeria government eventually agrees to allow the US and France establish their military bases in Nigeria let such military bases be sited in the Northern and Western regions of Nigeria. Northern and Western regions of Nigeria have the larger landmass and are borderlands between Nigeria and other West African countries.
“More so, Western and Northern regions have been hosting all the foreign institutions and projects for years, therefore, should host the foreign military bases. “The Eastern region does not have sufficient lands for developmental projects and Agricultural programmes let alone having space to warehouse foreign military base. We wish to remind the US and French governments that Biafra land cannot accommodate any military base.”
IPOB, therefore, warned governors, politicians, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, other interested parties in the Eastern region to desist from contemplating or negotiating with America and/or France on the issue, saying that it would not tolerate any person or group that tries to hand over any part of the region for a foreign military base because of dollar or political favours.