The Middle Belt Forum has responded to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s (Ret’d.) claim that he has fulfilled his promise to completely eliminate Boko Haram from the country.
According to Vanguard, the National President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, reacting to the claim by the President, on Tuesday, countered and advised him to accept failure.
Pogu noted that the President, rather than fulfilling his promise to Nigerians watched helplessly while the insurgents spread from the North East to all parts of the country.
He said, “Just two days to Christmas, Boko Haram attacked Chibok and killed two people, an elderly person and a toddler. They also abducted some people who were preparing for Christmas. What that tells you is that Boko Haram activities are still on. Their operational headquarters are still there. Many of the things Boko Haram are doing in the North are even not reported.
“There are extensions of Boko Haram in the North West and in the North Central. They have been attacking parts of Kaduna state right to even the end of last year. So then what does his fulfilling his promise mean? Is it saying that they have stopped one aspect of their activities which is bombing targets across the country; and now they have introduced kidnappings and attacking people and communities? Is that what it means?
“It is for Nigerians to judge whether the President has done what he promised in 2015. At that time he told us that it wouod be history, that he wouod eliminate Boko Haram.
“First of all we were deceived, a flag was brought to him, ground zero whatever, we knew it was not true and the attacks continued. And then it spread to the North West, parts of the North Central and now it is all over the place including South West, South East and even South South.
“So Nigerians who are the ones who feel the brunt would answer him appropriately that Mr. President you failed woefully and have not fulfilled the promise you made to make Boko Haram history in Nigeria. And we need greater political will to ensure that the military go after them to decimate them and not to wait in a location to repel Boko Haram, or bandits as they have renamed them in the North West and other places.
“So we need a leader who will uproot them and give Nigeria’s space back to Nigerians so that you can travel to any part of the country without fear.
“Even the Maiduguri- Danbua road which has just been reopened in December, an escort has to carry commuters on the stretch which is a distance of 90 kilometres and sometimes the trip takes four hours because they stop at intervals to send surveillance while soldiers fire shots into the forests and bushes to ensure the safety of the commenters before they move ahead.
“So what has he achieved? Leah is still in Boko Haram custody, same for some of the Chibok girls. Has he resolved that? So lots of things and questions are begging for answers.
“Let the President come out clean and tell Nigerians that he has done whatever he could do, the effort he has put in is not good enough and he wished that whoever is going to come in through a transparent Democratic process is going to resolve the problems.
“If in 2014 the then President Jonathan could give marching orders to the Service Chiefs and we held peacefully election across the country, why can’t Buhari assure us of that? I hope he would see reason and do the needful.”
