Nwodo: America Has Never Gone to War Anywhere for Philanthropy

Linus Aleke in Abuja

 A former governor of Enugu State and elder statesman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, said the United States, has never undertaken military intervention anywhere in the world purely for humanitarian or philanthropic purposes, insisting that such actions were always guided by strategic, political, or economic interests.

Nwodo maintained that wars prosecuted by global powers were rarely altruistic, stressing that national self-interest, rather than concern for humanity, largely determined foreign military engagements. 

He cautioned Nigerians against accepting official explanations for such interventions without interrogating the real motives behind them.

In a chat with THISDAY in Enugu, the former governor said the history of American-led interventions showed a consistent pattern.

According to him, countries that have experienced such interventions have often been left worse off.

“America has never gone to war anywhere in the world for philanthropy. There must be an interest they intend to protect or an investment they hope to recover. Once they remove a government that does not align with their agenda, they try to impose one that will. 

“But the truth is that none of the countries they intervened in—whether Libya, Iraq, Yemen or others—has truly recovered after their exit. That is not the kind of intervention we want,” he said. 

Nwodo noted that Nigeria’s long-running security challenges, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency, have persisted for over 15 years, cutting across successive administrations. 

He argued that the problem was bigger than any single president, pointing out that former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, were both overwhelmed by the crisis.

He explained that while military cooperation, security partnerships and even the hiring of mercenaries were recognised international practices, Nigeria must tread carefully in seeking external assistance.

According to him, indiscriminate foreign intervention could lead to the loss of national autonomy and expose the country’s natural resources to exploitation.

“What we are asking the federal government to do is to seek help from those with the capacity to assist, but not to allow any superpower to come in primarily for its own interest. Nigerians may applaud the removal of a leadership they dislike, but what comes afterwards may be far worse than expected,” he said.