By Cynthia Talatu Batuta
A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maj.-Gen. Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu (rtd), has stated that only Nigerians can resolve the country’s current insecurity challenges, not external forces like the United States, despite President Donald Trump’s threat to involve America’s military to combat terrorism in Nigeria.
Nwachukwu said this in Abuja, on Friday, launch of a book titled “The Hidden Treasures in the Niger Delta”, written by Deacon Chris Iyovwaye,
Trump had threatened U.S. military intervention in Nigeria and the withholding of all foreign aid if its government continues “to allow the killing of Christians.”
However, Nigerian government rejected foreign troop deployment, citing concerns that external intervention could exacerbate the situation. It Instead, sought targeted international support, such as intelligence sharing and military equipment, to address security challenges.
But the former military officer said Nigerians’ unwavering support for the country’s armed forces was one of the most important elements needed to end insecurity.
He said: “No other country can save us except ourselves. President Trump could well be doing what he’s doing to help us, to save our country, but he can’t save Nigeria, but we Nigerians will save our country, with their support, of course. And God bless Nigeria.
“Any time I read or hear news that our soldiers have been killed and our children have been kidnapped and so on and so forth, I want to tell you, it’s not because Nigerian soldiers are cowards.
“We showed how courageous we are in the Second World War. We did in Liberia. We did with our own country here, when we retrieved Nigeria from breaking up between 1966 and 1970. We were in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, and in the Maldives and so on.
“If we can do it to those areas, we can save our country. Support our military men for and women. Give them the resources, give them the intelligence, and they would take away all this banditry and all this terrorism in no time.”
Nwachukwu said that a a retired officer who ha led me to battle, he knew that Nigeria soldiers were not cowards, but brave and courageous men.
“They can deal with this thing. They can deal with this thing. So please support them to do so.
“Give them permission, give them the resources, and they will put to bed terrorism and insurgency in our country,” he said.
The former diplomat advocates true federalism as the only solution that could propel quick development of the country.
He urged Nigerians not to be afraid of restructuring, emphasizing that it would provide the needed direction for the country’s growth and development.
Nwachukwu said: “I recall at the 2014 National Conference, we were talking about restructuring Nigeria. And my group believed that the only way our country would move forward is if we returned Nigeria to what it was before the military intervention in 1966, meaning a proper federation where the federation units control their destiny.
“Time and again, time and again, I say, for as long as we run the present 19th National Constitution, Nigeria will be held hostage. Development will not thrive as it ought to, because our people have not been allowed the freedom to develop at their own pace. Therefore, what you have written, your book, underscores the point that it’s not only oil, there are other resources, and they are bound in our country.
“So why won’t we all join hands and plead with the leadership of our country, the National Assembly, and so on, to allow a constitutional conference in which the peoples of Nigeria will jointly produce a constitution in which they can live with and thrive in.”
In his remarks, former President Good luck Jonathan, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadhome, said there was the need to harness the resource in the Niger Deltafor proper fiscal development.
He said there was the need for the Governors of the States in the Niger Delta region to take concrete actions for the development of the region.
“Our advice on this occasion is to send a message to them that there is need for action,” Jonathan said.
“And that action can only be taken in practical terms. Not just saying it without showing the right political will. They should move further to create the investment vehicle that will detail out the investment opportunities and market those opportunities.
“Set up a budget to market them across the states, across the region. The Niger Delta is supposed to be the economy hub for this country. It’s supposed to be home to the biggest seaports in this country.
“Because we are the only area where you have the deep seaport. That should be deep enough. And from the Niger Delta you can reach every part of this nation, particularly the North.”
Deacon Iyovwaye said the book was not just a personal project, but a product of years of reflection, need, service, community engagement over the years and a deep yearning to change the narrative of the Niger Delta region that has given so much to the country yet has received so little in return.
He said: “For decades, the Niger Delta has been presented to the world through the lenses of conflict, degradation and aggravation. While these things are real and must be acknowledged, they do not tell the complete story.
“Beneath the surface of our cliffs, mangroves, rivers and communities, our bodies are resilient, brilliant, innovative and on top of potential. Before 1956, the mainstay of our economy was predominantly agricultural. And like most economies of the world today, agriculture still remains relevant and we understand.
“In this book, The Hidden Treasures, I put together a compendium of my works and engagement in the business space for almost three decades. The Niger Delta, both in human and natural resources, is a gift to our world. And most of it remains untapped until tomorrow.”