Abduction of Schoolgirls by Boko Haram Will Never Happen Again, Buhari Vows…
Taraba visit: PDP decries president’s comments, aloofness to victims’ suffering
As the country and parents continue to grieve over the abduction of 110 schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Daphci in Yobe State, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday promised that his administration would never allow such an incident to happen again.
He maintained that already the government was putting everything in place to ensure that the kidnap of the Dapchi schoolgirls and the recent attacks on humanitarian aid workers in Rann, Borno State, by the Boko Haram terrorists never repeat in the future.
The president who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, made the remarks at the National Defence College, Abuja, while declaring open the eighth edition of the National Security Seminar 2018 organised by the Alumni Association of NDC in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the NDC, with the theme: ‘Fighting Tomorrow’s Warfare Today.’
Buhari said: “The persistent attacks of the terrorists on soft targets such as schoolgirls and the incident at Rann were carried out to create the impression that the terrorists are still very much around.”
He also contended that since the kidnapping of the girls, the nation’s armed forces had been fully mobilised to Borno and Yobe States to ensure the security and safety of their residents, as well as schools in that part of the country.
The president said: “Boko Haram as we all know rejects authority and strives to take over territory, establishing a caliphate in line with ISIS’ objectives. Between 2012 and 2015, they seemed to be well on their way to achieving their objectives by annexing some territories in Nigeria and contesting territory with it.
“As of March 2015, Boko Haram controlled about 20,000 square kilometres of Nigeria, that is about the size of Belgium, from the eastern border of Cameroun to parts of Lake Chad.
“In Borno, 20 out of 27 local governments were under Boko Haram control, including Mubi in Adamawa and some villages.
“In addition to this, their footprint was registered in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano with the bombings of the UN building and Police HQ in Abuja . That was the state of affairs as of early 2015.
“Today, Boko Haram does not occupy any local government area in Nigeria. And they no longer have the capacity to hold a territory and challenge the sovereignty of the state.
“Gone are the days when they operated outside the precincts of the northeast, leaving behind carnage and bloodshed. They are now operating as desperate criminal gangs, mostly as relics or groups taking over some communities, using children as suicide bombers, kidnapping innocent girls and children.”
Buhari added that as things are today, the situation would have been worse without the gallantry of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
He said the objective of the Boko Haram group to establish a caliphate in Nigeria has now been made impossible by the military,
According to him, “The administration would strengthen the intelligence gathering capabilities of the Armed Forces, adopt cutting edge technology to fight the insurgents and develop counter narratives that would make recruitment of young men and women into the Boko Haram group impossible.”
He also stated that besides the Safe School Initiative, the government would rebuild and secure communities destroyed by the insurgents, adding that all material conditions that make people take up arms against the state would be addressed.
The Minister of Defence, Mansir Dan-Ali, also observed that the current efforts of the military to rescue the Dapchi and Chibok girls were already at an advanced stage, adding that satellite communications systems and other technological methods would be deploy to rescue the girls.
The minister who was represented by Dr. Hassan Abdullahi, the director in charge of the army in the defence ministry, stated: “It was heart-warming for the organisers of the seminar to come up with the idea to address the multi-faceted security challenges facing the country.”
Dan-Ali added: “The Boko Haram insurgent group was taking advantage of technology, especially the social media platforms to create panic, terror and confusion in the society.”
In his remarks, the Commandant of the college, Rear Admiral Adeniyi Osinowo, said the NDC was pleased to host the workshop as a way of addressing the current security challenges in the country holistically.
He said: “The theme of this seminar is well thought out for several pertinent reasons. Firstly, given the influence of technology on warfare and its overreaching influence on wars since the cold war era, nations have invested in new and emerging technologies to improve their military for national power.
“Secondly, notwithstanding the possible return of inter-state wars, the reality is that the post-cold war Africa has been involved more in intra-state wars.
“Thirdly, contemporary warfare involves non-state actors, insurgents and terrorists groups in particular, and the majority of these wars have assumed greater dimension.”
However, the Peoples
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Accra, Ghana’s capital, said with the right leadership and implementation of public policies, Africa’s drive to eradicate poverty and entrench democracy is on course.
Speaking at Ghana’s 61st independence anniversary celebration at the Independence Square in Accra, Buhari stated that Nigeria and Ghana are benefitting immensely from leaders committed to improving their economies and tackling corruption.
Buhari, according to Malam Garba Shehu, his media aide, in a statement, commended Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, on his achievements in his first year in office and lauded his committed fight against corruption as well as the passing of Special Prosecutors Bill.
According to the statement, the president pledged Nigeria’s support to Ghana in the fight against corruption, saying the menace of corruption had eaten into the fabrics of both societies.
‘‘From Nigeria, I have watched closely your achievements, ranging from your ingenious approach to creating jobs for the teeming youths through various initiatives, including the repositioning of agriculture for modern farming, ‘Farming for Jobs and Food,’ Senior High School (SHS) free education, One-District-One-Factory, and One-Village-One-Dam as well as the improvement being recorded in the country’s macroeconomic indicators.
‘‘All these efforts, I am aware, have made Ghana to become a good destination for foreign direct investment just like Nigeria. Accept my congratulations!
‘‘I congratulate both the government and the parliament for the quick passage of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act and its signing into law.
‘‘Your Excellency can be assured that you have a good partner in me as I look forward to any form of collaboration between Nigeria and Ghana in tackling the menace of endemic corruption.
‘‘Given all these public policies, it becomes reassuring that with the right leadership, Africa’s drives to eradicate poverty and to entrench democracy is on course,’’ he was quoted to have said.
Furthermore, the statement said Buhari who was the special guest of honour at the event, recounted the historic and cultural ties between Nigeria and Ghana and urged citizens of both countries to uphold the fraternal relations.
‘‘It is, therefore, my strong desire that we owe it as a duty to ensure that our good peoples continue to live in each other’s countries unhindered.
‘‘Our newly rejuvenated Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation has already provided us with good platform in resolving any differences while focusing on our main developmental objectives,’’ the president was further quoted.
Commenting on peace and security in West Africa, the President commended Akufo-Addo’s contribution to ensuring peace in neighbouring Togo.
‘‘Permit me to put on record, Ghana’s untiring efforts in brokering peace in Togo, by bringing all the warring parties to the negotiation table. I am appealing to the opposing parties in Togo to please come together and resolve their differences so that Togo will move forward.
‘‘In the same vein, I wish Nigeria and Ghana to continue to provide the impetus in realising the objectives and ideals of the founding fathers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to ensure security, peace and development of our region,’’ the president added.