A Nigerian Youth based in the US,Shamsuddeen Magajia has called on President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the decision of the ECOWAS not to wage war on the Niger Republic.
Shamsuddeen, a graduate of War and Peace Studies from Ohio University stated this in an open letter he wrote to the President.
He cautions the President about the danger of this provocation.
If that happens, it’s foreseeable that the first retaliatory strike may tragically impact his home state.
The potential scenario is what compelled him to voice his concerns to the President.
The letter reads parts:
“In early February of this year, I had the privilege of discussing Nigerian politics with my professor, Dr Brandon Kendhammer. During our conversation, we delved into the potential of your success in revitalizing Nigeria’s economy. I spoke with unwavering optimism, highlighting your impressive track record in Lagos and the potential for its replication on a national scale. Your commitment to Lagos has undoubtedly transformed it, and the credit for making the state what it is today truly belongs to you. However, the current resolution by ECOWAS leaves a lot of Nigerians feeling ambivalent, causing many to question whether Mr President shares the same level of passion for Nigeria as He does for Lagos. Some even contemplate a scenario that had the coup d’état occurred in Benin and not Niger Republic, would His Excellency be willing to jeopardize the Lagos His Excellency has painstakingly built by provoking a war that could potentially result in spiralling his state into chaos?
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Mr President, many young Nigerians have hopes for the future you have assured us. Now that many of us have jealously fought for your turn, there is unease that your ECOWAS-led resolution will no doubt jeopardize our “Emilokan.” Your Excellency, should this war be fought, we may likely not stand in the nearest future in a crowd just as you did to say “Emilokan.” Many Nigerians believe that the prevailing temptation looming in the air, if not combated with the utmost vigour, has the potential to lead our country down a path of instability similar to what is currently faced by nations like Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan. These concerns are valid and deserve serious attention. Mr President’s ECOWAS-led resolution has made many Nigerians engage in introspective conversations regarding the implications of its furtherance. Your stance on this matter makes many compelled to soliloquize: Has the war in the 21st century ever genuinely achieved its intended goals? Why are we contemplating the path of war? Is Mr President following ECOWAS’s directives, or is ECOWAS fulfilling His Excellency’s desires? Who is advising our beloved President? What benefits could this war bring to Nigeria? What type of victory can we reasonably expect? Is this undertaking a pretext to exacerbate northern Nigeria’s already precarious security situation?
- Mr President, when considering the effectiveness of war in achieving its intended goals, one must recognize the events of the 21st century. This era is replete with numerous instances highlighting the unsustainability of employing force as a corrective mechanism, particularly when powerful nations attempt to impose democracy on selected countries. An illustrative case is Libya which lies not far from the shores of Africa. The conflict in Libya was initially framed as a noble endeavour to establish democracy, yet it has plunged the country into an unparalleled crisis, with recovery appearing distant and elusive. An alternative viewpoint might argue that living in a troubled democracy is preferable to residing in a prosperous dictatorship. However, the actual reality of this assertion can only be accurately gauged by the experiences and perspectives of the Libyan people themselves. It would not be inappropriate for your ECOWAS-led contingents to allow the peace-loving people of Niger to shape their destiny. Recent happenings around the globe have shown that victory in war during the twenty-first century remains elusive.”
