Many Nigerians have been condemning the Federal Government’s purchase of new tanks and heavy artillery, believing them to be wasteful spending. However, their sentiments are preventing them from understanding the critical issues behind such moves.
Recall this statement from Russian President, Vladimir Putin: “The Next Great War Would Be Iver Africa”. When you see statements like this, you realize that Africa is in big trouble. It proves that there is a plan by foreign countries to fight, in Africa, and then divide the continent among themselves.
There is a staggering continual buildup of military bases and installations by the Western and Eastern powers all over Africa, from small police departments all the way up to military bases.
However, such actions are already a tad too late. Firstly, African governments already have the continents regional powers surrounded and kept busy with terror groups; Egypt is grappling with Sinai terrorists up north; to its east lies Turkey, that has threatened Egypt with military reprisals if it intervenes in Libya, Russia, France; In West Africa Nigeria, the regional hegemon is encircled on all sides by eight military bases, six of them drone bases; we have Boko Haram and now ISIS to grapple with; East Kenya is struggling with Al-shahab terrorists and splinter groups; The usually peaceful Southern Africa has seen the rise of ISIS militants, who have already taken over parts of northern Mozambique.
With all these happening, if we do not wake up and equip our military to defend our homeland and resources at all times, then we stand the risk of losing them all.
The world’s biggest oil refinery is already being erected. If we fail to learn from history we will pay a terrible price for our complacency. History is rife with powers taken over resources of African states simply because they are in a position to be overpowered.
Would the 19 JF-17 planes that we bought from Pakistan really be enough to stop an American, Russian or Chinese invasion of Nigeria with their hundreds of F-22 Raptors, Sukhoi SU-57s and Chengdu-20s?
Before we condemn the Federal Government’s investment on the military, let’s reflect again.
