Presidency: Opposition profiting from B’Haram killings

The Presidency has tactically accused opposition politicians of profiting from Boko Haram killings in the country.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, who featured yesterday on Channels Television Sunrise Programme, was answering a question on whether he believed that Nigerians hated his boss.

Okupe argued that Jonathan was the most maligned president the nation had ever produced.

“What is the volume of blood of Nigerians those who want power require to unseat Jonathan?” the presidential aide asked.

Okupe, who said Nigeria was currently in a war situation with Boko Haram insurgents, noted that terrorist attacks had been a daily affair in the country since 2009.

He regretted that the war against terrorism had been made difficult by the nation’s population and topography.

He, however, maintained that the Federal Government had established credible and effective measures to contain insurgency, adding that security agencies deserved some commendation for their efforts.

According to him, if not for the commitment, courage and professionalism of the military, the country would have been in a more grave situation by now.

“Nigeria is currently at war...In our case, we have been battling with it (terrorism) since 2009 and it has been a daily affair. We are in a war situation with Boko Haram. The government has established credible and effective security infrastructure that can fight terror. Twelve states were initially engaged in these attacks.

“This thing has been pushed from 12 states to now a very tiny area of the country...You must give the government and security agencies some measure of commendation. Insurgency is a serious matter, and if the military had not been working assiduously to save all of us, Nigeria would have been in a more serious situation all together,”he said.