The All
Progressives Congress (APC) has accused
the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of
aiding, abetting and benefitting from
the Boko Haram insurgency, saying the
mismanagement of national resources,
massive corruption under the ruling
party’s watch and the incompetent
handling of what started as a localised
insurgency, have been responsible for
the festering crisis.
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday
by APC National Publicity Secretary,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also
accused the PDP-led federal government
of using the fight against insurgency as
an excuse to punish and witch-hunt the
opposition, trample on civil liberties and
abuse national institutions on a scale
that is unprecedented in the country’s
history.
It said had the PDP-led federal
government not misgoverned Nigeria
since the return to democratic rule in
1999, perhaps the country could have
been spared the cankerworm of
terrorism, epitomised more than
anything else by the Boko Haram
insurgency.
APC said the international community is
not unaware that the FG has been the
biggest cog in the wheel of efforts to
tackle Boko Haram, apparently because
the Jonathan administration has seen
the insurgency as its surest ticket to re-
election and international acceptance.
“Far from the baseless and irresponsible
accusations and finger-pointing by the
PDP and the government it controls at
the centre, it is time to tell Nigerians
that the only reason the insurgency has
continued unabated is because the PDP
and the Jonathan administration are
benefitting massively from it.
“That explains their quick dismissal of
our call for an international inquiry to
unravel the sponsors and modus
operandi of the terror group, while
latching on to what remains a mere
conjecture on the probe of Boko Haram
links by the British Parliament. Pray,
which is bigger and more authentic, a
probe by the British Parliament or an
international inquiry? If the PDP and
its cohorts have nothing to hide, they
would have embraced that call. We
maintain that only an international
inquiry can unravel those behind Boko
Haram, and we thank Nigerians for their
favourable response to our call”, APC
said.
The party drew the attention of
Nigerians to the testimony given by a US
official at the US House Foreign Affairs
Sub-committee on Africa’s hearing last
Thursday in Washington, identifying the
human rights abuse record and
uncooperative attitude of the Nigerian
government and its military authorities
as factors hindering the security
assistance offered to Nigeria by the US
to tackle Boko Haram.
“The Congress was told, by the Specialist
at African Affairs Congressional
Research Service Lauren Blanchard, that
the Nigerian government and its military
had not been yielding to America’s
suggestions; that the main impediment
to America’s efforts to support Nigeria’s
broader response to Boko Haram is ‘gross
violations committed by the Nigerian
forces, the Nigerian government’s
resistance to adopting a more
comprehensive approach to Boko Haram
and the continued lack of political will’.
“The Congress also heard that the he
Nigerian government has appeared
reticent in some cases to allow its
security forces to participate in US
training programmes, adding: ‘Multiple
systemic factors further constrain the
effectiveness of the Nigerian security
force’s response to Boko Haram, notably
security sector corruption and
mismanagement, and some of these
factors impede US support even for units
that have been cleared for assistance’.
“Does anyone need any more evidence of
whose cluelessness and incompetence
have allowed Boko Haram to fester to
such a level that it has killed over 3,000
people since the beginning of this year
alone? Does anyone need further
evidence of whose non-cooperative
attitude with the US and other foreign
friends of Nigeria has been responsible
for the failed and tepid efforts to
tackle Boko Haram?” it queried.
APC said it is an undisputed fact that
Boko Haram emerged against the
backdrop of intense poverty and
political misrule by the PDP since 1999.
Progressives Congress (APC) has accused
the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of
aiding, abetting and benefitting from
the Boko Haram insurgency, saying the
mismanagement of national resources,
massive corruption under the ruling
party’s watch and the incompetent
handling of what started as a localised
insurgency, have been responsible for
the festering crisis.
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday
by APC National Publicity Secretary,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also
accused the PDP-led federal government
of using the fight against insurgency as
an excuse to punish and witch-hunt the
opposition, trample on civil liberties and
abuse national institutions on a scale
that is unprecedented in the country’s
history.
It said had the PDP-led federal
government not misgoverned Nigeria
since the return to democratic rule in
1999, perhaps the country could have
been spared the cankerworm of
terrorism, epitomised more than
anything else by the Boko Haram
insurgency.
APC said the international community is
not unaware that the FG has been the
biggest cog in the wheel of efforts to
tackle Boko Haram, apparently because
the Jonathan administration has seen
the insurgency as its surest ticket to re-
election and international acceptance.
“Far from the baseless and irresponsible
accusations and finger-pointing by the
PDP and the government it controls at
the centre, it is time to tell Nigerians
that the only reason the insurgency has
continued unabated is because the PDP
and the Jonathan administration are
benefitting massively from it.
“That explains their quick dismissal of
our call for an international inquiry to
unravel the sponsors and modus
operandi of the terror group, while
latching on to what remains a mere
conjecture on the probe of Boko Haram
links by the British Parliament. Pray,
which is bigger and more authentic, a
probe by the British Parliament or an
international inquiry? If the PDP and
its cohorts have nothing to hide, they
would have embraced that call. We
maintain that only an international
inquiry can unravel those behind Boko
Haram, and we thank Nigerians for their
favourable response to our call”, APC
said.
The party drew the attention of
Nigerians to the testimony given by a US
official at the US House Foreign Affairs
Sub-committee on Africa’s hearing last
Thursday in Washington, identifying the
human rights abuse record and
uncooperative attitude of the Nigerian
government and its military authorities
as factors hindering the security
assistance offered to Nigeria by the US
to tackle Boko Haram.
“The Congress was told, by the Specialist
at African Affairs Congressional
Research Service Lauren Blanchard, that
the Nigerian government and its military
had not been yielding to America’s
suggestions; that the main impediment
to America’s efforts to support Nigeria’s
broader response to Boko Haram is ‘gross
violations committed by the Nigerian
forces, the Nigerian government’s
resistance to adopting a more
comprehensive approach to Boko Haram
and the continued lack of political will’.
“The Congress also heard that the he
Nigerian government has appeared
reticent in some cases to allow its
security forces to participate in US
training programmes, adding: ‘Multiple
systemic factors further constrain the
effectiveness of the Nigerian security
force’s response to Boko Haram, notably
security sector corruption and
mismanagement, and some of these
factors impede US support even for units
that have been cleared for assistance’.
“Does anyone need any more evidence of
whose cluelessness and incompetence
have allowed Boko Haram to fester to
such a level that it has killed over 3,000
people since the beginning of this year
alone? Does anyone need further
evidence of whose non-cooperative
attitude with the US and other foreign
friends of Nigeria has been responsible
for the failed and tepid efforts to
tackle Boko Haram?” it queried.
APC said it is an undisputed fact that
Boko Haram emerged against the
backdrop of intense poverty and
political misrule by the PDP since 1999.
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