The recent arrival of the United States of America in Nigeria with troops and equipment to help the Nigerian government fight against Islamic militants and other armed groups has been generating comments.
The Nigerian military had said in a statement that the arrival followed a request by the Nigerian government to the U.S government for help with training, technical support and intelligence-sharing. The deployment also follows an easing of tensions that flared between the U.S. and Nigeria when President Donald Trump said the country wasn’t protecting Christians from an alleged genocide.
But many commentators are worried that the Americans may be coming to only help train the Nigerian military. Reacting to the development, Brigadier-General Don Idada Ikponmwen (rtd), said that there was no need to be afraid as the Americans’ coming was not only about the technical side of the problem.
They were coming, Ikponmwen said, to solve a wholesome problem that the Nigerian government could not solve. He is of the opinion however that the support from America to Nigeria should not be restricted to training alone.
Also, Mike Ejiofor, a former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), has called on the Federal Government to lobby the U.S. President Donald Trump, if need be not to restrict his military assistance to training only.
Ejiofor said that President Trump’s gesture should be all encompassing to record meaningful military achievements against the dreaded insurgents terrorising most states of the federation. The security expert, in a telephone interview with one of our reporters, said he doubts if the intention of America and Trump is to train Nigeria’s military alone.
He believes that the essence of the collaboration is for America to help with combatants to boost “our boys’ morals”. Ikponmwen agreed as he said: “We have heard our president saying that the American troops are coming for collaboration and mutual assistance.
“Whatever they will be doing here, it is with the cooperation of the Nigerian government. “And I think we have that. They are working with the American people to solve our problem. “There is nothing; we shouldn’t be worrying about our territory, we shouldn’t be worrying about the concept of sovereignty.
“After all, sovereignty is the people. It is the people that have sovereign authority in this country. “And if these people are being eliminated without justice, anybody that can help us should be welcome. “I think that’s why the President has said the government is working with the Americans.”
Ejiofor has also said that the American troops are not meant to restrict its support to training but will also help in other aspects. “I don’t think America can restrict its support to training; the collaboration, I believe and advocate, should include intelligence, technological support and ground combatants.
“All these operations are intelligence based; they cannot be restricted to training alone. “You have to train people on how to operate, how to go into the forest undercover along with intelligence and technology.” Reacting to insinuations of sabotage in Nigerian military in many instances, Ejiofor said no one had been able to prove such.
“Although we have heard of something like that; I will not call it sabotage but the government should have investigated such insinuations and come out with a solution. “As we speak, that matter has not been reported and that is demoralising, because we are losing troops and other people will be demoralised when such happens.
“And because it’s a joint operation, they will be guided; they will provide skills while we provide the local intelligence. In the end, our military would have learnt so much and be better for it.”
