Chief Whip of the Senate and former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has restated his call for the establishment of the United States (U.S.) Africa Command (AFRICOM) base from its current base in Stuttgart, Germany to Nigeria.
Kalu, who spoke when he hosted the Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria, David Greene and Deputy Political Counsellor at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, David Frost, and a Political Officer, Kimberly Ledesma, noted that the U.S. has been assisting Nigeria in many unlimited ways since independence and expressed confidence that the United States would continue to sustain the assistance.
He recalled that when he was a Governor, the U.S. had intended to establish AFRICOM in the country, former President Olusegun Obasanjo kicked against it, stating that if AFRICOM headquarters had been located in Nigeria, the issue of oil theft and kidnapping would not have been be experienced in the country.
“Because I wanted the United States to have a base in Nigeria, one of our Presidents rejected it. I am sure you know and I was very upset with that President, and we quarreled a lot about it.
“So, I still plead with the United States to establish a base here, a United States base for Africa in Nigeria,” Kalu said.
AFRICOM, with its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, is one of the 11 combatant commands of the United States Department of Defence. Alongside its partners, the command it is aimed at countering transnational threats, strengthen security forces and respond to crises, with a view to advancing the national interests of the US and promoting regional security stability and prosperity.
While assuring that Nigeria would continue to deepen ties with the United States, Kalu said any country that intends to be very successful, has to be a friend of the United States and observe high standards and ethics in order to maintain relations with the United States.
In his remarks, Greene appreciated the warm reception he had received since arrival in Nigeria.
Greene said Nigeria is a beautiful and enormous country with a lot to learn, saying that he was excited to be in the country to learn more about Nigeria and help the United States-Nigeria relations.
