By Kolawole Ojebisi
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has allayed the fears of Nigerians over the purported presence of foreign military base in the country.
Musa made the statement to clear the air over allegation in some quarters that France had sited a military base in Nigeria.
While making clarification about the claim the CDS stressed that there is no single foreign military base in existence anywhere in the country as alleged in some quarters.
He described the claim as mere “fabrication”. The CDS spoke in Abuja at official launch of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), Tattoo 2025 Logo on Saturday.
He said, “Let me speak on Mr President’s recent visit to France where a lot of bilateral agreements were signed.
“Regrettably a lot of comments have been made on the subject matter. Some people enjoy fabricating falsehoods, so I want to clarify some of the insinuations out there.
“No foreign nation will establish a military base in Nigeria, not in the north, not in the south, and not anywhere in Nigeria.
“It has never happened before and it will not happen now. Mr President asked me to make that very clear to Nigerians. Whatever was signed was a bilateral agreement on trade, culture, and traditions and a corporation on the economy.
“Some said that the president had signed agreement to allow the foreign nation to establish base camps in northern Nigeria, nothing like that”.
The CDS who reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to continue to partner with foreign nations bilaterally, especially in the area of training and procurement of military armaments, said “We send our officers and they send their officers here too for training.
That is the normal thing that is done, but to build camp and start operating from Nigeria, that was not part of the agreement,”
The CDS’s explanation is coming on the heels of allegations that agreement had been reached between France and Nigeria to establish an expeditionary military base in the later as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to end insurgency activities in the country.
Meanwhile, at the event, Logo unveiled by the CDS symbolises catharsis, valour, and resilience of the military, as well as a reminder of political history and vision for the future which serve as an emblem of pride and inspiration for the members of the Armed Forces and the general public.
Speaking on the significance of the Nigeria Tattoo 2025 Logo, the CDS noted that it showcases the history, culture, practices, skills, discipline, and heritage of the Nigerian forces.
He explained that the unveiling of the 2025 Armed Forces of Nigeria Tattoo Logo gives discipline, understanding of what command is, what obedience is, and what loyalty, dedication, and sacrifice are.
According to him. ,” It eliminates all this issue of discipline and clashes between civil militaries, with civilians in the town, and all this afterwards.
“This tattoo is a parade. We also invite other members of other forces to come and showcase their parades, their culture, and their activities, and this fosters unity between us.
“So that’s very important for us. And that is a critical thing for every armed force that is professional. That separates you from kangaroo armed forces or non-state actors because they don’t know what all this is about. So we want this, all our tenders to be open to do a parade. We announce everybody is there. We sit down and we watch and we listen.
“And then we make inputs. Now it’s possible to foster our relationship with the civil population. Because what we see, as we have always mentioned, asymmetric warfare is a kind of warfare that survives twice more when the population, when the citizens are not fully aware of terrorism”.
Describing the new Armed Forces of Nigeria 2025 Tattoo logo, General Musa said that each element of the logo has been crafted to reflect the Armed Forces’ commitment to peace, security, and Independence. It is believed that the logo will serve as an emblem of pride and inspiration for the members of the Armed Forces and the general public.
” The tattoo itself is a unique celebration, bringing together members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and civilians, as well as members of the Armed Forces of some notable countries, in the grand exhibition of military music, great displays, and cultural performances.
