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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Future Nigeria Movement (FNM) has proposed that the Tinubu administration should quickly relocate all military bases from the urban and city centres to the outskirts or rural and boundary areas across the country.
Leader and Founder of FNM, Livingstone Wechie, made the call in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, saying the relocation would help contain the lingering security challenges facing the nation.
The group said it has observed that there are not less than 180 military bases and barracks across the country and most of them are either located within the city centres or have been seriously caught up, encroached upon and overrun by urbanisation.
Wechie said: “The implication is that the civilian and military population mix can compromise the security climate and architecture of Nigeria as it is the case.
“It is important to note without prejudice that in the event of territorial attacks, it is easier for logistical deployment of hardwares from those non-urban areas and quick responses will be better achieved.”
According to him, city centres should be left mainly for the Police and National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) including other intelligence security institutions of state to interface with civilians and manage internal security challenges as is constitutionally required.
He continued: “The high visibility of Military personnel in regular civilian activities and settlements is undoubtedly demystifying and undermining our military forces.
“The duty of the military is principally for the protection of the territorial integrity of the nation. Their concentration on the internal daily activities in the urban areas stand a chance to ostensibly compromise that patriotic duty.”
The FNM leader emphasized that most of the high crimes including terrorism, banditry and highway kidnappings take place in the various areas outside the urban settlement because they are easy entry routes that have been conquered due to lack of adequate military control.
Wechie maintained: “The relocation of these military bases and barracks will result in making available massive lands for economic development with the urban areas. Some of these lands can be reallocated for industrial and other real estate purposes while others may be reallocated to the original native owners as incentives for their age-long patriotic contribution to national development vide critical state infrastructure.”
The FNM, however, recommended that the welfare of both the military and other security agencies including the Nigeria Police Force should be made a national emergency or priority.
“The welfare outlook of our security personnel is most embarrassing and this has made them beggarly, vulnerable for all sorts of compromises and willing tools for extremely abusive tendencies. To this effect, all steps must be taken to save the situation to avert the disaster at hand.”
