Chibok girls Abduction: Jonathan hits back at northern elders
President Goodluck Jonathan has hit back at the Northern Elders Forum for giving him an ultimatum on the Boko Haram insurgency and the abduction of the schoolgirls of Chibok. Speaking today through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs Doyin Okupe, the president described the ultimatum as an unnecessary distraction. Okupe maintained that the president […]
President Goodluck Jonathan has hit back at the Northern Elders Forum for giving him an ultimatum on the Boko Haram insurgency and the abduction of the schoolgirls of Chibok.
Speaking today through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs Doyin Okupe, the president described the ultimatum as an unnecessary distraction.
Okupe maintained that the president did not require any threat or ultimatum from any group of persons to be alive to his responsibilities to Nigerians.
He described as preposterous, senseless, divisive and a deliberate attempt to disseminate hate mentality and cause mischief; the suggestion that Jonathan’s administration was executing any scheme to annihilate any section of Nigeria for political gain.
The presidential aide said his principal was voted for by an overwhelming majority of Nigerians across the board, and would never promote any policy either divisive or inimical to the well-being of any section of the polity.
According to him, what Nigeria needs at the moment is total cooperation of all its citizens and stakeholders, with the government and the security agencies.
Okupe said: “The issue of insurgency, especially those ideologically based on Islamic extremism, is a global phenomenon and requires tact, military capability, serious de-radicalisation techniques and community based counter insurgency programmes to ensure success. In these areas, the Federal Government is making progress. We’re improving on our operational capabilities and efficiencies by acquiring more advanced weapons and technologies for our military and security agencies.
“We’ve drafted more military personnel to the region to strengthen the fighting power of our armed forces. We’re taking advantage of the offers from our international military and intelligence allies to assist in identifying key locations. We’re working with our neighbours to secure the borders and limit the movements of the Boko Haram fighters, building on the agreements reached at the recent summits in Paris and London. We’re deploying more resources to maximise operational efficiency, acquire more advanced and relevant weaponry and boost the general morale of our combatants. This is why the government recently requested for an additional funding of $1bn.
“And the last piece in the puzzle is targeting the domestic and international funding, and stopping the money flows into the coffers of the terrorists. With all these efforts and the support of our allies, these steps will help fight the threat of Boko Haram and move us closer to bringing the girls back safely. We wish to assure Nigerians that in spite of this and many more distractions, the president is focused on continued successful executions of his transformation Agenda; and the guarantee of the security of lives and properties of the Nigerian people”.