Orji Uzor Kalu, the senator who represents the Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has made an appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to Nigerian Tribune, he urged the President to resist the pressure coming from the United States of America (USA) and France, which are attempting to push him into initiating a military operation against the Junta in the Niger Republic.
This plea comes in the wake of ECOWAS’ pronouncement of an immediate military intervention against the Junta. The declaration was made on Thursday during a summit held in Abuja, Nigeria.
During an interview published on his verified Facebook page, the former Senate majority whip conveyed his concerns. He shared that both the US and France are advocating for Nigeria’ s involvement in the conflict. However, he implores the President to dismiss their demands, emphasizing that resorting to warfare is not the appropriate path to take, Nigerian Tribune reports.
” The United States is advocating for us to enter into armed conflict. France is encouraging us to engage in war. But why shouldn’ t they deploy their own soldiers and partake in the war? We are prepared to provide them with the financial means to wage the battle. Let them undertake the war independently. We cannot embark on this military endeavor.
” This conflict is unfolding in our immediate vicinity. I earnestly beseech the President to heed the Senate’ s stance. The Senate has firmly rejected this proposal, and I align myself with the Senate and the majority of Nigerians in urging President Tinubu to refrain from plunging into war, upholding our bonds of fraternity and safeguarding Africa’ s welfare, ” he conveyed.
Initiating a different approach, Kalu recommended that rather than opting for armed conflict, the emphasis should be on granting the Juntas a defined time frame. This period would require them to furnish a comprehensive strategy outlining their proposed path back to democracy.
Expressing his stance, Kalu asserted, ” Engaging in warfare doesn’ t seem prudent. The directive aimed at the Juntas should revolve around procuring a plan for a Democratic transition. The proposed time span could span a year, six months, or even two years, all geared towards reinstating democracy. “
He underscored that the military confrontation holds no relevance to the Nigerian populace. Furthermore, he emphasized that the loss of lives among Nigerian soldiers shouldn’ t occur as a consequence of this internal strife.
Kalu iterated, ” It’ s inconceivable that sacrificing any Nigerian soldier’ s life would serve as a justifiable cause for another nation. The ongoing conflict isn’ t within our realm; it pertains to the internal challenges of the Niger people. We stand to gain nothing from it. “
Yet, he revealed that in the event refraining from warfare jeopardizes Nigeria’ s standing within ECOWAS, President Tinubu should be prepared to withdraw the nation from the organization.
SocietyDaily (
)
