Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
The Senator, representing Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone in the 10th assembly, Sentor Onyekachi Nwebonyi has refuted the news making round that Nigeria is about engaging in a war against Niger Republic.
Speaking at his residence in Abakaliki while hosting his constituents during the ojiji festival, Senator Nwebonyi, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation and Water Resources, dismissed the claims of military intervention in Niger.
Senator Nwebonyi condemned the military’s coup in Niger, stating that the role of the military is to provide security for the citizenry within their barracks, rather than assuming the mantle of leadership.
He expressed his belief that the Economic Community Of West African State (ECOWAS), would take action against such plot in Niger. The senator also clarified that, according to the Nigerian Constitution of 1999, as amended, the Senate alone cannot unilaterally approve military intervention.
Stating that such decisions require joint approval from both the National Assembly and the Senate.
Addressing rumour making round, Senator Nwebonyi revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu never proposed military intervention in Niger.
He stressed that the current stage is merely an introductory phase where diplomatic measures and other internal remedies would be exhausted.
In his words ” Nigeria will never go to war against the Niger Republic, instead, ECOWAS will go to war against the military and not Niger citizens because what they are doing is not backed by any law be it international protocol, convention and treaties.
” The actions of the military are an aberration for a man on kaki to seat on the Government house is not advisable and nobody should support that.
That is why I said let’s be more patriotic.” Senator Naebonyi further highlighted previous instances in Mali and Burkina Faso where the military had taken similar actions, emphasising the need to prevent such incidents from escalating further.