The Presidency through the senior Special Adviser to
President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has responded
to an article on the total failure of the Buhari government.
The Presidency said it became necessary to respond to the
claims made by Daily Trust in the write up given the seriousness of the issue
raised.
While condemning the insecurity around the country as
unacceptable, Garba Shehu was fast to point out that Nigeria is not unique,
adding that violence and terror have risen steadily across the entire African
continent over the last decade.
The presidential aide said Buhari understands the
frustrations of Nigerians about the ongoing challenges of security and that the
administration is no less worried but maintained that Nigeria’s persistent and
continued efforts to suppress that instability have seen results.
“Indeed, the Daily Trust has correctly identified the source
of the violence as ‘an amalgam of many complex issues such as poverty and
unemployment. It is equally right to note that, in tackling the violence,
‘force alone will not be enough.’ It is quite wrong, however, to suggest the
problem of insecurity is intractable, and more wrong still to claim apathy on
the part of the government.
“First, our military efforts have not let up. It is true
that in the face of today’s growing number of threats from Boko Haram,
kidnappers and IPOB to your run-of-the-mill bandits, our forces are stretched
increasingly thin. But our dedicated soldiers are working around the clock to
keep Nigerians safe.
“Second, alongside military force, this government is
seeking to address the violence at its economic source. Massive infrastructure
projects like the coastal rail and new train from the southern coast through
the north-east to our neighbour Niger, aim to expand employment and opportunity
across the country, bringing hope to our more remote and poorer regions where
bandits and terrorists thrive.
“Third, even as the West continues to extricate itself from
Africa militarily, we are lobbying our Western allies aggressively for
partnership, investment and support in other areas, such as proscribing Boko
Haram, bandits and IPOB as terrorist groups, which would severely dent their
funding; for investment in trade and infrastructure, to help lessen economic
instability; and to help with technical assistance, advanced weaponry,
intelligence and ordinance.
“This will likely be small comfort to the families and loved
ones of those already lost. But make no mistake: this is a battle we are
fighting without let up. The Daily Trust’s suggestion that the President
exchanges violence for the support he got electorally is beneath a publication
that claims any kind of political neutrality or integrity.
“Now is not the time for this sort of lurid political journalism.
Now our focus as Nigerians must be on coming together and ending the violence.
As President Buhari wrote recently of the terrorists in the UK paper, The
Financial Times: ‘We will defeat them, one highway, one rail link – and one job
– at a time.’
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