Despite the activities of Boko Haram in the North East, which have left several persons dead and properties destroyed, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday scored his government high on security in the zone.
The President, who gave the assessment while receiving the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Rev. Yakubu Pam, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also asked those criticising his regime, particularly the nation’s elite, to be fair in their assessment.
Buhari’s claim drew the ire of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, who expressed surprise that despite the high level insecurity in the zone, the President was gloating over protecting Nigerians.
Recall that no fewer than 76 farmers were beheaded in their farms on Koshobe village in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents at on November 29, 2021.
There have also been constant gunfight between the military and the insurgents which have resulted in the death of soldiers and civilians.
President thumps chest
But the President in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the security situation in the zone has improved, stressing it was no longer as bad as it was prior to his assumption of office in 2015.
Although he admitted that there were still what he described as occasional Boko Haram problems, the President said: “What was the situation when we came? Try and ask people from Borno or from Adamawa for that matter and Yobe. What was the condition before we came and what is the condition now?
“Still, there are problems in Borno and Yobe, there are occasional Boko Haram problems, but they know the difference because a lot of them moved out of their states and moved to Kaduna, Kano and here (in Abuja).
“We were not spared of the attacks at a time. The government is doing its best and I hope that eventually, our best will be good enough.”
Buhari also assured all stakeholders that the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons was paramount on the agenda of his government.
“The people in IDP camps, the weak, aged, I feel sorry for the young because this is the time they are supposed to get education.
“We must not allow this time to pass because it will never be regained. So, we are really interested in what is happening there and we are doing our best,” the President said.
He also asked those criticising his government, especially the elite, to be fair in their assessment, imploring the to first consider the state of the country he inherited in May 2015.
The President in the statement, “Criticise us fairly,’’ also asked his critics to consider the resources available to the Federal Government under his watch while criticising him.
“Those criticising the administration should be fair in terms of reflecting on where we were before we came, where we are now and what resources are available to us and what we have done with the limited resources.
“We had to struggle paying debts, investing in road repairs and rebuilding, to revamp the rail and try to get power. This is what I hope the elite when they want to criticise will use to compare notes,’’ he said.
The President commended the Executive Secretary on his appointment and activities on peace building around the country despite his short time in the saddle and assured him of the listening ear of the government whenever he had contributions to make.
Earlier in his remarks, Pam intimated the President with some of the activities of the commission since he was appointed in July 2020.
These include; organisation of Peace Summit on Southern Kaduna as well as peace-building efforts in Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states.
He added that the commission has proposed to host Christian religious leaders in a summit to help douse pressures within the polity, among other plans.