Niger Republic: Don’t Take Us To War – Ex-NHIS Boss Warns President Tinubu

Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof Usman Yusuf, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against taking Nigeria to another war.

According to him, Nigeria, especially the Northern region of the country, has been at war with Boko Haram for over 14 years; taking the military to the Republic of Niger to fight against the junta government will be another war against Nigeria.

Yusuf, who spoke during a recent interview on the state of the nation, condemned ECOWAS‘s and President Tinubu’s stance on a possible military intervention or action in the Niger Republic.

According to him, Nigeria and the Republic of Niger are the same people, and any call for war against the other is not a welcome development.

“Of course, I have an affiliation with the Niger Republic because we are the same people. All these borders are just demarcations. I’m attacking the President and his government on principle, and even ECOWAS is against them. They are very inexperienced. The President was not advised properly, he didn’t make consultations with the people, and yet, he is just trying to take us to war. Even the military is not ready. The service chiefs are just resuming, and we don’t have the capacity.

“Nigeria is broke; we are borrowing to pay salaries. Who is going to fund all that? President Tinubu is looking for legitimacy, which is why he is doing the bidding of the Western world. It is unnecessary. How can you fight with your neighbour and expect to live in peace? It is not well thought through, and it shows their inexperience internationally. There was some arrogance; they did not consult with people, especially those in the area, and they just decided to do this. We will oppose them, and they will fail. Would a Yoruba man in Lagos have accepted Buhari to invade the Benin Republic or Togo? Will Yoruba elders keep quiet? You invade there, cause issues and leave all the troubles for us? 

“The North has been at war for 14 years with Boko Haram and nine years with bandits. Don’t bring another war here. That’s why we are raising our voices. Is it because I have a synergy? Yes, I do, but we speak the truth, affinity or no affinity. There is no need to do this (war against the Niger Republic). They should go back to the drawing board and continue negotiation and consultation. We should help them transition instead of issuing empty threats,” He told The PUNCH while responding to questions on why he is opposing President Tinubu and ECOWAS.

President Tinubu Must Listen To Nigerians

When asked to clarify his stand that the primary responsibility of President Tinubu is to Nigeria and not to Niger or ECOWAS even as the chairman of the commission, the former NHIS boss replied saying: “Did any Nigerien vote him to be ECOWAS Chairman? I don’t even know how he became ECOWAS chairman.”

While acknowledging that Tinubu emerged as ECOWAS chairman based on the arrangement that it was Nigeria’s turn to produce the chairman of the commission, he said: “His primary responsibility is Nigeria and if Nigerians say no, that is no, and you cannot go to war without the approval of the Senate. Our elders say no, traditional leaders say no, and clerics say no. What should you do as a President when the people are saying no? Don’t you have that power? Power emanates from us, the people, and not the President. So, you can be anything, be the Chairman of the United Nations, so long as he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he must listen to us, and we are saying no. So, he should go back to ECOWAS and tell them that the people are saying no.”

Yusuf rebuffed the claims by some Nigerians that President Tinubu may be taking the decision against the Niger Junta to guide against a replica of the coup in Nigeria because a crisis in a neighbouring country may extend to Nigeria.

He said: “The only medicine to military takeover is good governance and ending corruption. But so long as our leaders continue with bad governance, corruption insecurity, unemployment, out-of-school children and increase in the cost of living, there is always the risk, and that is why instead of invading other people’s country, the leaders should protect, nourish and guard their democracy by exhibiting good governance and making the life of people better. Do the right thing with your people instead of going to fight for other people. It is not your business with Niger if they decide to have the devil as their head of state. How is it your business? Why do you think going to fight for them will stop you from suffering the same fate?

Any Military Action Against Niger Is A No

The former NHIS boss maintained that a negotiation should be carried out to resolve the issue in the Niger Republic, stressing that any military action is a no and will eventually fail.

When asked about his thoughts on what should happen if the junta insists on remaining in power like other African countries ruled by the military, he said: “What can you do? You continue talking and the pressure from the international community, including sanctions, for them to come up with a transition period to hand over to a civilian government as soon as possible. That is the most it can get. Any military action is a no, and you will fail. Why wasn’t any military action taken against Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea or Chad? You have to take this threat of military action out of the table, ease the sanctions, put their electricity back, keep talking and negotiate for a transition period to be given.

“The life of the ousted President must be guaranteed. But here, ECOWAS is saying if they don’t relinquish power, they will invade the country. Never start any negotiation with a threat. If you start any negotiation with a threat, you will fail, and this is exactly what is happening. Stop all the threats and come back to reality. President Tinubu should be very careful; he should not be doing the job for America and France because they are the ones pushing him to go and invade, and we Nigerians are saying no. And be careful not to get involved with the Niger Republic. It will be a proxy war between the Russians, who are coming with the Wagner forces, and NATO.

“We don’t want such things in our neighbourhood. That is why President Tinubu needs to be smart. The Niger Republic is our neighbour, and we should be good. We should intervene and find a way to solve problems.

There Is No ECOWAS Without Nigeria

There is no ECOWAS without Nigeria,” said Yusuf when reminded that the decision for military intervention in the Niger Republic was a unilateral decision of ECOWAS leaders and not President Tinubu.

He added: “Whatever decision they arrived at that level, he has to come back and get ratification and approval from the National Assembly. ECOWAS’s decision is not final. It is the people and the National Assembly of that country that make the final decision. Just like the American President cannot make a decision in the United Nations without reverting to Congress, just because he is the Chairman of ECOWAS does not mean he has a blank cheque to make Nigeria fight in the Niger Republic. It is subject to the approval of the National Assembly and subject to the approval of the people. He and his advisers need to know that.”

He insisted that President Tinubu’s critical decision without reverting to the National Assembly is a no.

Yusuf said: “He must revert to them, end of story. He is not a dictator, is he? Even during the military, the head of state cannot do that without the Supreme Military Council. President Tinubu needs to learn; that Nigeria is not Lagos. Here, we will ask him questions at the National Assembly. He is just nine weeks old, and he is taking the country to war.”