By Olukayode Idowu
Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to review its stand of deploying military on Niger to compel a return to democratic order
The group in a statement on Thursday signed by it’s National President, Hon Khalil Mohd Bello said there is hardly any good the military action on Niger would ensure.
They said: “We are totally not in support of any economic sanction against Niger Republic for the reason that the sanction would be more harmful and disastrous to the poor masses of Niger, Nigeria and her other neighbours than on the culprits and their surrogates.
“We are against any military intervention by ECOWAS or European countries for the reason that the said act would create more insecurity in Niger, Nigeria and other Sahelian states as this will lead to unnecessary fight between the intervention force and the Niger Republic army and the civilians who would be deluded by the military under the cover of nationalism to join the fight as volunteers.
“There is a tendency that, the process of restoring democracy in the said country under the able leadership of President Bazoum, the risk that the President and his good family might be affected.
“The possibility of the success in the said military action is highly questionable, because even if they succeeded in bringing him back to power, they wouldn’t stay there permanently to defend his Government as we have seen in the cases of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.”
They stressed that: “The military action in Niger republic as in any west African states would directly affect pastoral occupation in the entire region. It will make the free movement of livestock from one State to another in search of Animal feeds and water points as stipulated in the ECOWAS rules extremely difficult which would bring another problem to our members.
“The action would seriously lead to the widespread of terrorists and their terrorism activities in Niger, Nigeria and Sahelian States, because if ECOWAS succeeded in defeating the culprits, there is the tendency that they would move with their guns into hinterlands and forcing people to join the bandits just like that of Boko-haram insurgency days.”
The group while arguing that military action would highly devastate the economy of Niger and that of Northern states of Nigeria who are in commercial activities with one another even prior to the coming of Arabs traders or European colonialists, said: “It will painfully break the very old mutual relationship/economic ties between Niger Republic and Northern states of Nigeria who are from onset of like blood brothers.”
They also noted that the action shall bring more hardship and instability of Government in many West African countries due to unbearable hardship that would go with it.
“And above all, it would create anarchism in many West African states due to the inability of many Government in the region to properly overcome the number of hundred thousands rebels that may emerge due to the military intervention of Niger republic. “It will lead to the distruction of many lives and properties since the coupists would not fold their arms waiting for the ECOWAS force to conquer them,” they said.