There is no going back on the December deadline to crush Boko Haram insurgents and end the sect’s activities in the Northeast, the Federal Government restated yesterday through Information & Culture Minister Lai Mohammed.
The reassurance came even as Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said the northeastern state has seen the worst of terrorists’ activities.
Mohammed and Shettima spoke in Maiduguri, the epicenter of the insurgency, when the minister led a fact-finding team to Bama, one of the most affected local government areas.
The minister said that by the end of the month, no part of the country will be under the control of the sect, pointing out about 86 villages and towns have been liberated in the last six months.
Fielding a question on the feasibility of the December deadline, Mohammed said: “Yes, the military will, by the grace of God, be able to see the end of Boko Haram by the end of December.”
Though, he said it will be impossible to rule out pockets of suicide bombing here and there, the minister however said more emphasis would be placed on de-radicalisation of the environment.
He went on: “But, let us make it clear, what the military will do is to fully liberate all the territory held by Boko Haram, if we think that by 1st of January there will be no more bombings, we are mistaken.
“There will be suicide bombing. Because even other countries where insurgency has been over for so many years, we still have some pockets of attacks.
“But, we as a government will ensure that by the end of this year, no territory of ours will be in the hands of Boko Haram. This is what the government has promised us and this we are going to delivered and I think by the end of the day, this will be achieved.”
He urged the people to support the military by providing necessary information, even as he assured the military that the government will offer the civilian component of the war and will let the world know what the military has achieved and ensure the country buys into the anti-terror war.
His words: “I must say that the military has done much better in this war. What is missing in this war is the civilian component. Many Nigerians erroneously think that this war must be fought by the military alone. Some does not even see as a national issue, sectional or religious. Terrorism is terrorism everywhere in the world.
“We will launch national security campaign to create awareness and allow Nigerians take possession of the war, the same way they took possession during the 1966 coup. Security is virtually everybody’s business.
“This war is not yours alone, it is our war. You are fighting it on our behalf and we will make our own contribution to ensure that your contributions are not in vain. We are going to continue from here to start our own national security campaign to ensure that every Nigerian is security conscious, every Nigerian looks at this war and ensure that when this is done with the help of the state government and federal government, when full civilian life is restored here, you will be able to go back to your family and unit. “
He commended the Borno State governor for his efforts at rebuilding the recaptured areas.
“In Bama we saw first-hand the scale of destruction; the scale of damage that the Boko Haram terrorists have done,” Mohammed said, adding that the visit has empowered all on the entourage to see the real victims of war.
Responding, Shettima said the state has seen the worst of terrorism.
The governor said: “Honestly, our people have gone through the worst of time. Believe me, we have crossed the rubicon. The worst is over. And we are on a part to regeneration, reconstruction and certainly resettlement of our people.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to work for our people. Believe you me, Borno will bounce back in the next six months to one year. You’ll see the changes in the lives of the people.”
On restoring life to areas destroyed by the sect, especially Bama, the governor said the state was prepared to commence reconstruction of about 5000 houses.
Explaining the plight of the state, the governor said in the last few months, Bama which used to be epic epicentre of the battle been reclaimed by troops and so, the worst is over as far as terrorism is concerned.
Quoting from the song of late Afro beat king, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Shettima said: “Borno has seen nothing short of hate, high scale of sorrow, tears and blood. We have witness unimaginable destruction. Of the 27 local government areas of Borno, there is no local government that has not had its own share of experience.”
He reminded his guest that at a point, about 20 council areas were under the control of the sect, stressing that the focus of his administration now “is reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of our people.”
According to the governor, “a Borno man has no problem of being poor… once we invest in land and agriculture, poverty can be curbed in a big way. Go to the interior and you will see that Borno is one of the state in Nigeria that has a very big land mass for agricultural purposes.”
He commended the minister, who happens to be the first information minister to visit the state in the last six years.
Shettima also reminded those in government that, “we have no choice than to put on our thinking cap and do what is right for the people We are all products of public schools. Once we create jobs, invest in education and agriculture, we will be back on track. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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