The Federal Government said Thursday that it cancelled the training programme for Nigerian military by the US due to the tough conditions given by the US government for the training to ahead.
The US government announced Monday it had cancelled the programme at the request of the Nigerian government, which triggered insinuations that the government might have taken the action in retaliation of recent refusal of the US government to sell attack helicopter to Nigerian authorities.
The Federal Government through the Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri,explained that it did not cancel the training, but that the condition placed down by US government was not healthy for the security of lives and property of its citizens, particularly those in the north east region.
He named the conditions to include withdrawing of some military equipment from the battle field, so that the American could use them to train the soldiers.
Omeri spoke during a routine briefing on security situation in the country, in Abuja.
He said the government would not expose its citizens at the mercy of insurgents because it wants to train its solders.
The minister however asked Nigerins Omeri maintained that the two countries were not at variance as being insinuated by some people in the country. “Nigeria and America have strong military relation till date. It’s still ongoing and strong,” he said, disclosing that Nigerian soldiers had concluded two phases of the training out of the three.
Omeri explained that the third phase had to do with logistical components which the Americas did not provide but instead relied on Nigerian Military equipments, which was currently in use in the troubled state.
