…FG committed to return of remaining Chibok girls, says Lai Mohammed
Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima has called for more support from the Federal Government to the military to end the onslaught on the Boko Haram before the start of the rain.
He spoke when he received the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed who is in the state for the 2nd special edition of the Town Hall meeting in Miaduguri, Borno state to showcase the current government efforts and that of the military in the fight against insurgency.
Other Ministers at the Town Hall meeting are: Minister of Interior, Abudulrahman Danbazau, Minister of Defence, Mansur Ali and Minister of state, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
Governor Shettima said everything must be done to sustain the tempo of the ongoing fight so as to end the activities of the Boko Haram sect as soon as possible before the rainfalls.
He explained that once the rain begins, it might become difficult for the military to push further because of the terrain of the Sambisa forest, this he feared might give the terrorist group the opportunity to regroup again.
The governor was full of praises to the military, especially the current leadership of the military operation under the command of Gen. Nicholas Rogers.
While appealing for unity across the country, he noted that the military operation has been able to achieve so much in the last three weeks when compared to the last three years.
Buttressing his call for national unity, the governor said that officers from the southern part of the country have contributed to the relative peace achieved so far in the North east.
He also used the opportunity to lambast the immediate past Commander of the military operation, Lafia Doyle for incompetence.
In his remark, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed reassured the gathering that the Federal Government is committed to return of the remaining Chibok girls who were abducted in 2014.
To this, he called on the people of the state to cooperate with the military by providing necessary information to the security agency.
He also warned the people on the need to be very vigilant, especially now when the battle against insurgency is almost over; saying that the Boko Haram elements out of desperation have resort to bombing of soft targets. On the town hall meeting holding in Maiduguri and return of night life in the state capital, the minister said it is an attestation of the successes achieved by the military in degrading of the Boko Haram sect.
He also cited the return of football matches at Maiduguri stadium as another success story of the military activities since the the current government came on board.
This, he however said it did not just come over but as a result of a well thought out plan and programmes of the government in changing the military architecture and also motivating the military in the fight.
He said: “The mere fact that we are gathered here in Maiduguri, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency, for this meeting is a testimony to the success that has been recorded in fighting the insurgency. In the heat of the insurgency, this would have been impossible. I am told that at least three airlines now have scheduled flights into Maiduguri. None was flying this route at the height of the insurgency.
In any case, the airport was not even open for such flights due to safety and security concerns.
“My Special Assistants, who flew into Maiduguri on Saturday, have told me of how they were pleasantly surprised to see a city that was in sharp contrast to what is being painted out there: busy roads, people going about their daily chores as you would have in any normal city, and even a bubbling nightlife. On Sunday, the 30 local and international Journalists who came from Abuja to cover this Town Hall Meeting were taken on a guided tour of the city, both during the day and at night, by the Hon. Commissioner for Information.
The Journalists even chanced on a football league match that has just been concluded between El-Kanemi FC and Enyimba.
The fact that football matches are now being played in Maiduguri is a clear testament to the return of normalcy to the city.
“We have come a long way from those days, when Boko Haram could strike at a place and time of their own choosing, when Boko Haram conquered and administered territories. That time, not even Abuja, the heartland of the nation, was safe from the insurgents’ attacks.
Today, Boko Haram is no longer capable of carrying out coordinated attacks anywhere. All they do now is to engage in cowardly attacks on soft targets.
That, in itself, is a sign of weakness.
“Let’s be clear: We didn’t get to where we are today by accident. Our gallant men and women in uniform have made all the sacrifices, including the supreme sacrifice, to bring us here. Our political and military leaders have shown leadership in getting us here, unlike in the past when, in the words of Mr. President, official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion made Boko Haram a terrifying force. The ordinary folks have also shown great resilience and support to bring us here. We are eternally grateful to all.
“President Muhammadu Buhari charted the path to where we are today. In his inaugural speech on May 29, 2015, he gave the nation a roadmap for the defeat of Boko Haram, which he described as the most immediate of the security challenges facing the nation. The President said victory cannot be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja and directed the relocation of the command centre to Maiduguri until Boko Haram is completely subdued. He also visited our neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger and Cameroon, and some Western countries, to rally their support for the fight against the insurgency.
“The efforts have paid off. Let me quote the President: ”We have since beaten Boko Haram. Isolated attacks still occur, but even the best-policed countries cannot prevent determined criminals from committing terrible acts of terror as we have seen during the past years in Europe, Asia, Middle East, elsewhere in Africa and in America.”
“The last phase of the war on Boko Haram is on now. The military is punching deep into the enclaves of the insurgents, rescuing women and children and catalysing the surrender of many insurgents. Over this past weekend alone, the military handed over more than 82 women and children rescued from the insurgents to the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) right here in Maiduguri. Among them is Rabi Abu-Yasir, said to be the wife of Boko Haram’s chief physician.
This is commendable.
“Since this last phase of the war is intelligence-driven, we will like to appeal to the people in the affected areas to cooperate with the military in terms of providing information, especially about fleeing Boko Haram insurgents. There is the need for vigilance now, more than at any other time. More than 100 Chibok girls have so far been rescued.
The government is committed to the safe return of the remaining Chibok girls, and we need every useful information we can get on their whereabouts.
“With Boko Haram beaten and on the run, we are now tackling the post-war challenges of reintegration and rehabilitation. The schools that have been destroyed as a result of years of the insurgency are being rebuilt. The health facilities are being revamped.
Overall, our humanitarian response is being scaled up, with the support of our international friends.”
The minister also commended the state government for its massive post-war reconstruction programme; assuring the people of the state ” that you are not alone in your efforts to rebuild the state, and indeed to put in place measures to combat poverty, thus reducing the number of people who are available for recruitment by fringe elements who later metamorphous into a terrifying fighting machine.”
Senator Ali Ndume in his remark challenged the Federal Government on the need to do more for the state.
While commending international Organisations for coming to the aide of the state in addressing the challenges as a result of the activities of the Boko Haram, he said the Federal Government has not done in enough.
Citing the N45 billion budget of the Federal Government for the North East in the 2018 budget which he said is grossly inadequate to do anything, especially when compared to $750 million (N130billion) from the development partners.
The law maker also expressed his displeasure over the activities of some Non-Governmental Organisation who are doing one thing or the other in the state without working with the state government.
He therefore urged them to either align with the state government or get out of the state instead of embarking on projects without any recourse to the government.
