RESTRICTION BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON THE USE OF ACQUIRED WEAPONS OUTSIDE THE NORTH-EAST. NEO-COLONIALISM ?

RESTRICTION BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON THE USE OF ACQUIRED WEAPONS OUTSIDE THE NORTH-EAST.  NEO-COLONIALISM ?

For the past couple of months, there has been growing pressure on the Federal Government of Nigeria to label the bandits operating in the North-Western part of the country as terrorist organizations. This pressure ascended as facts emerged that there are clauses embedded in the weapon sales agreement between the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Preventing the Federal Republic of Nigeria from using the weapons outside the North East. It is the belief shared by some groups that the labeling of bandits as terrorists would raise international awareness of the activities of these groups in the North West, which would make it possible to unleash weapons placed under restrictions by the United States on the terrorists.
Ordinarily, it would be easy to dismiss the restriction clause on the grounds that it does not bind Nigeria, having failed to meet the requirement of ratification as prescribed under section 12 of the 1999 constitution. However, this argument would be futile, recalling that the United States has a significant global influence on the sales of sophisticated weapons. Recalling also, that the United States of America, relying on the leahy law, stopped the government of Goodluck Jonathan in the buildup to the 2015 elections from purchasing weapons from its allies. Thus, it would be foolhardy for anyone to advise the Federal Government of Nigeria to ignore whatever agreement it had entered with the United States of America on the ground that it has not been ratified as provided by the 1999 Constitution. As the saying goes; he who pays the piper dictates the situation. In our situation, the United States of America has the yam and the knife. It controls to a considerable degree critical weapons we would need in the future to combat crime, most especially terrorism. As we saw play out in 2015, it is immaterial if we have the funds to purchase these weapons. The United States of America has the reach to not only refuse to sell weapons to Nigeria, but to also block us from buying weapons from its allies.
Going forward, it would be in the interest of the Federal Government of Nigeria to begin to explore the development of local technologies that can be deployed in the fight against terrorism and banditry. This would be critical in reducing the influence of Western powers in dictating how we conduct our internal security operations. As to whether the Proscription of bandits in the Northwest is supported by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a conversation we shall save for a future date.

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