Recent happenings in Nigeria and the visit of the United States [US] Secretary of Defense Mr. Cohen to that country, should be viewed with concern. The question is, why the sudden interest in a Nigeria / US defense cooperation? Is the US planning to supply weapons of mass destruction to the Nigeria government for her use in exterminating the indigenous people of the oil rich region that borders on the Atlantic ocean?

In 1962, Nigeria rejected a similar Anglo/Nigeria defense pact. Forty years later, two things have changed. Nigeria has emerged as an oil rich third world country with an internal game of musical chairs in the military cum political leadership. This should not lead to a US defense pact with that country for the following reasons.

America, we accept, has the fundamental right to protect her economic interests and oil supply, the problem here is that the threat to Nigeria’s oilfield is not external. There are no foreign governments lining up to seize Nigeria’s Niger delta. Anyway you look at it, the only farfetched military threat to Nigeria comes from France, who has a military pact with all the countries surrounding Nigeria. The French with their head in the European Union and legs in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would think twice before making a move on Nigeria not because they cannot but because it will not be economically wise.

A US/Nigeria defense pact cannot support democracy or stop military coups because any student of military takeovers will tell you that it is futile to intervene when once the command and staff officers are involved. The recent visit of the US naval officers to a naval base in Nigeria offering help, has no relevance in preventing military coups or the protection of democracy, as the Nigerian navy lacks the logistical make up to effect or influence a change in government. Therefore, the only reason the US Navy is there, is to aid in suppressing the people of that region. The last deployment of the Nigerian military ordered by the present democratic government was at Odi, a town in the Niger Delta, where they committed atrocities not seen even in wars between two foreign countries.

History bears out that the restiveness in that region will only increase as long as the Nigerian authorities continue with their scorched earth policies.

Finally, there is a fundamental difference between the US and Nigeria’s military doctrines, which simply put is that - the Nigerian military does not count their men, whereas the American military wear dog tags.

Dear Americans, would you want your children to die for a country where a man’s hand is amputated for stealing ten pounds of beef?

Orok Edem

Calabar Development Association

New York 4/1/00