The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as an unprecedented national embarrassment the increasing seizure of Nigerian towns by the terrorist group Boko Haram and the reported fleeing of 480 Nigerian soldiers to Cameroon during an attack on a military base in Gamboru-Ngala on Monday.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party called on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently address Nigerians on the worsening security situation in the northern part of the country that has allowed Boko Haram to proclaim its rule over a part of the nation’s territory.
It said in the face of the biggest threat to Nigeria’s unity and territorial integrity since the country’s civil war, President Jonathan must also put partisanship aside and rally the nation against Boko Haram, which by all indications seems to be getting bolder and stronger, to such an extent that the group is now hoisting its flag over parts of the nation’s territory.
APC also restated its call for an urgent national stakeholders’ conference on security that will cut across party lines to help fashion a solution to what has now become a clear and present danger to the survival of Nigeria, while pledging its unalloyed support for any sincere effort by the Federal Government to end the insurgency as quickly as possible.
As an immediate first step, the party calls on President Jonathan to immediately halt the illegal electioneering campaign by his Ministers, other appointees and supporters, saying Nigeria must survive as a nation before any party or individual can rule over it.
”These campaigns, ostensibly by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) but in truth being bankrolled by the Federal Government, offends national sensibilities at a time our citizens are being daily slaughtered and our troops are struggling against the terrorists who are bent on balkanizing our nation.
Needless to remind Nigerians that over 200 school girls remain missing more than 130 days after they were abducted,” the party said, adding: ”The President must put politics aside for now and lead the nation to defeat Boko Haram.”
It also charged the military high command and its civilian leadership to quit politicking and fashion out ways for the military to live up to its constitutional responsibility of maintaining Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
APC said it is a shame that while the Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro has been prancing around in Ekiti and Osun state marshaling troops to harass the opposition during the elections in those states, Nigeria has been losing territory after territory to Boko Haram.
Equally worrisome, the party said, is the development that has seen some defence chiefs Chief become the chief campaign managers to President Jonathan, an action that is a clear violation of the military’s professional ethics and which has embroiled the military unnecessarily in politics, at a time they should be rallying the troops against Boko Haram.
”Nigeria has never had it so bad. The country’s military that was being hailed worldwide for its sterling performance at global peacekeeping missions has now reached a level where its troops are deserting, engaging in mutiny or simply unwilling to fight.
”There is no way to spin what happened on Monday, when 480 Nigerian soldiers escaped to Cameroon. The Ministry of Defence called it ‘tactical manoeuvre’, but did not explain how soldiers fighting insurgents along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon will foray 80 kilometres into Cameroon! Also, if the Nigerian troops’ foray into Cameroon was in the spirit of the cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the terrorists, as some spin doctors have said, why were the Nigerian soldiers disarmed and then herded into schools in Maroua, 80kms from the Nigerian border?'
”The issue that should agitate the minds of Nigerians now is whether our troops are adequately equipped to battle Boko Haram and, if not, what has happened to the funds allocated for such in the past. As we said in our earlier comments on this issue, between 2010 and 2014, a total of US$14 billion was allocated for defence, security and the police. What has happened to these funds?
”Nigerians must start asking questions rather than just blaming soldiers. Nigerians must ask why the alarm raised by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno concerning the low morale and lack of necessary fighting equipment by the military was dismissed on the altar of partisanship. Nigerians must ask what next, if a rag tag band of marauders are now carving out territories for themselves in our nation. Things cannot and must not continue like this,” APC said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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this is the first time I will ever agree with noisy apc. national disgrace indeed. rich security personnel can't fight.
ReplyDeleteThis Lai and his cohorts are fools,shameless people politicisn everythings, hw can u bring change to nija wen u hav never contributed any good idea to better nija, now boko haram u peopl sponsord to discredit JOna admn is out control, u APc hav succeded in killed innocent people. U cannot smell de seat of presidency ok, evil minded people. I no u won't publish dis bcus Site is ownd by APC chieftain
ReplyDeleteSilly comment u have made. APC sponsored BH to discredit the commander in chief and what is the response to that from the commader in hied. You tell me. Nonsence.
DeleteWelcome back from Germany!. I pray comprehensive investigation would be carried out by the Federal Government to know what really happened to huge money allocated to the Ministry of Defense for purchasing befitting ammunition for our Army.
ReplyDeleteIf the same Army liberated other countries from their civil wars and now under this administration our Army are forced to enter Cameroon instead of facing Boko Haram, FG must explain to Nigerians.
When Mr president wanted to collect loan to fight insurgent, APC was in the forefront in stopping him. This shows clearly that APC wanted Nigeria territories to be taken. This also proves that APC northern members are the informants of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
ReplyDeleteOh,what a pity.ur reasoning nd tinking re dam 2 low nd negative. Just listen 2 urself,it‘s really a pity.
DeleteTarauni! We are coming for U! U continue to use this platform NE to propagate Ur LOVE for APC and her military wing- BH. I think Ur time is up. We are closing in on U. U escaped us at Ur LG in KANO last week but not this time. Here we come, MUGU!
DeleteEL- matosky or el-ebola, you are just being stupid. Come to lokoja to arrest me not Tarauni. GEJ does not ask you to do all this be warned if not you may rather end up being arrested. Mumu
DeletePlease tell us how APC was at the fore front of stopping him. Last time i checked The Ministers still take orders only from the C in C and no one else. Shut up if u have nothing sensible to say.
DeleteThis PDP govt lead by GEJ is actually destroying this country. The earlie we remove politics and face this mess the best. We cannot be telling lies to our self. This govt has failed. Security is everything. If this thing are just bcs of GEJ, cant he equip the military to fight back. The civillian and the soldiers deing, are they all northernes - the suspected sponsorers according to GEJ and his southern sycophants. All former presidents are crying, the vocal active one - Buhari is in trouble and GEJ stil believe things are ok, where are we heading to? What is the differences between what Gov Nyako said and what is happening now?
ReplyDeleteTruth they say will prevail one day.
shut up your stinking mouth, you are talking nonsense, imagine this maggot calling others sycophants! You are confused bastard who have refused to see the truth just as it is. You northerners started this evil upon yourselves and now it has backfired, stop blaming GEJ, they are eating their flesh and drinking their own blood, the north will be extinct in no distant time so everyone can have peace! look around the whole world, its one Islamic sect or the other killing innocent Christians, haba!
DeleteDon't worry. Since u are so daft as to realize the actual problem then just relax. Its only a matter of time. Shebi the fire is burning in the North now. Ok, just pray that the unarrested fire does not rage out of control to get to u. Then u will understand what it really feels like. it is far beyond christian and muslim wahala. Nigeria is under attack and all u see is North and Christians in the North? Fool.
Delete@Annonimous3;45.pls go back to school!!!
ReplyDeleteThose who blame Mr President for the present security situation in Nigeria are either being mischievous or outrightly ignorant. The thing is global and needs the assistance of all honest people to curtail it. It will take a while, but it must eventually be crushed.
ReplyDeleteYou all need to be reasonable,The question remain that what happen to the security budget?why should Mr President continue to borrow?He is not managing the country very well,he lack excellent supervisory orientation on the govenance of the country,Nigeria.Was this happening during his boss (Yaradua) time.The truth is GEJ is poor in managing our economy.
ReplyDelete