Presidency Slams Obasanjo Over Comment On Buhari’s Administration

The federal government has faulted former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assessment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s scorecard in the last six years. It disagreed with Obasanjo’s remark that the president has nothing to offer in office, particularly on the worsening insecurity that has upset the country. The government warned Nigerians against the use of incendiary and insulting words, especially by leaders, saying that they can overheat the polity and heighten tension.The government also said that with a recent court declaration, bandits have been declared as terrorists, stressing that no administration in Nigeria’s recent history has provided the security agencies with the hardware to tackle insecurity as that of President Buhari.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the clarifications against the backdrop of increasing banditry and kidnappings in the country. The minister said: “If anybody is worried today about the security situation of the country, it is Mr. President. “President Buhari has done so much, under very difficult economic and social conditions, to tackle insecurity in our country. “Not only has he done so much. President Buhari continues to do much more to keep Nigerians safe.”

Recall that a coalition of Civil Society Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to strengthen the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in order to win the war against insurgency and banditry in Nigeria. A statement jointly signed by, Dr. Aliyu Bello of Peace and Conflict Resolution Initiative and Ambassador Jude Uchenna of Alliance for Justice and Peace gave the advice to the president. The group noted that the failure of the DIA in providing links that will lead the troops on the battlefield as well as rancour within the military hierarchy has affected the fight against insurgency and banditry.

Earlier, a coalition of 76 NGOs and civil society activists knocked the intelligence arms of the military and the Department of State Security Services for continued attacks on military formations and other infrastructure of the state by terrorists. The activists also lamented over the kidnapping and robbery by bandits saying the attacks were not only a setback to the war against insecurity but a blatant embarrassment to the armed forces and Nigeria in general.