Lagos — An Islamic scholar and leader of Islamic Democratic Progressive Party (IDPP), Sheikh Al-Mansur Williams has said the proposed military base by the United States Government in the continent of Africa is not in the interest of Africa and Nigeria in particular.

While commending the decision of the Federal Government not to be part of any such arrangement, Williams said the Federal Government should not yield to diplomatic pressure in order not to undermine the nation's sovereignty in the comity of nations.

Continuing, he said globalisation is more about ensuring harmony with respect to industrialisation that will engender growth and job opportunity and ultimately improve the economy of a nation.

He reasoned that the introduction of military base would cost the African countries more than they bargained for.

"This is going to be more of showcasing arms and ammunitions which will lead to African countries spending so much on ammunitions at the expense of their low economic base. Apart from that, it will serve as a dumping site for their nuclear waste, the result of which is inestimable.

"We know what nuclear waste is all about. The toxic that will littered our environment will be so much that the only thing that will be left in Africa will be sufferings from unknown ailment arising from these waste that have been dumped on our environments", he said.

Besides, he said with military base in African, they would be able to over-run any African state at any given as the case in the Middle-east.

"They had base there, but what do they have to show for it now? War. It can even engender easy partitioning of peace loving African countries. We have nothing to gain. The US makes a lot of money from these military hardwares. So, the have to look for market for them and that's what they are doing by proposing to expand their command in Africa ", he said.

The US recently announced its plans to expand its military command in Africa. The command will be called Africom. The US Deputy Undersecretary for Defence, Ryan Henry has been going about African countries campaigning for the command. Already, African ambassadors have been briefed about the plan in Washington. Henry and a team of US defence officials are now visiting key African states- including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Senegal with a view to selling the plan. Further visits are said to be planned for later in the year.