Nigeria is capable of overcoming insurgency – Buhari
Spurred by adverse commentaries and insinuations from various quarters that Nigeria lack the political will to overcome her insurgency challenges, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, 24th January has guaranteed Janez Lenarcic, the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Crisis Management, that Boko Haram, banditry and other security menaces rocking the oil blessed nation would be nipped in the bud soon.
Buhari stressed that if Nigeria despite a bloody 30-month civil violence was able to come together in unity, the insecurity currently facing the country will be a thing of the past in no distant time.
In a press release signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that:
“If we were capable to fight a 30-month civil war and reorganised our country, I wonder why people are thinking that Nigeria cannot do it.
“I assure you of Nigeria’s commitment to enhance and deepen cooperation with the EU in all areas. Our priorities in the next level is to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, are rehabilitated so that livelihood should be established and the children should not lose the opportunity to go back to school, which is very important for the future of that area and Nigeria generally.
“We have the experience of the civil war. I could recall the role of the military, the army, each commander had in his pocket how to behave himself and how to allow international bodies like yourself to go round and see for themselves that people are treated in the most humane way. We have this experience and I assure you that we also have this confidence in your organisation. That is why I feel that Nigeria is capable of handling this crisis, it may take long but we are capable of handling it.
“The important thing really is weapons reaching the Sahel; the instability it is causing. Look at the casualties in Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali; Libya has a direct impact on the stability of the Sahel. As for Boko Haram, we try to disabuse the mind of the people and I think our people now understand the basic dishonesty in it. With my experience personally in the civil war, I am sure we will get over it.
“I assure you that we are aware of these problems and we will continue to do our best. The newly created Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is coordinating NEMA and others, to make sure that whatever resources we get are well utilised. The ministry will be accountable to the government instead of having too many bodies doing the same thing. We are also reaching out to foreign countries explaining to them our position, and we are confident we will get over it.” he added
