As the nation continues to tackle insurgency, the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday said the Northern governors are not doing enough to end terrorism in that part of the country.
The cabinet meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, also condemned and described as senseless the series of bomb blasts that occurred recently in some parts of the country.
Briefing State House correspondents after the weekly meeting, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, decried the ongoing grandstanding and politicking among political gladiators, saying such was boosting the morale of the insurgents.
When asked to comment on the statement credited to the United States of America that the Nigerian military was becoming afraid of engaging the Boko Haram insurgents, Maku, chose not to join issues with those who have offered to assist in combating terrorism.
Maku said: “The continuous bombing, which is absolutely senseless and destructive, underlines again the need for all of us in the country to come together and unite to confront the attack of terror on our country.
“It is the opinion of council that the President should proceed with the efforts he is making to consolidate on the coalition of countries to contain the influence and operations of terrorist in the sub-region.
“Terrorism is no longer a Nigerian affair.
“It has become an international problem and we need the cooperation of other countries to deal with the situation we face in the Northern part of Nigeria.
“We need the cooperation of all Nigerians to win this war because terror war is not a war to be fought only by government.
“We require the cooperation of all Nigerians, all political leaders, all religious leaders and all our communities.
“We must come together to confront the assault on our liberty and on the lives of innocent people.
“We believe that the unity of our country at this critical time is more important.
“Our intelligent services have been doing their best.
“We commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in Jos and in particular those who were injured.”
The minister, while positing that the northern governors have not done enough, spoke about what is expected of them at this trying period.
According to Maku: “Every governor of the 19 northern states must re-organise his people to monitor people at the grassroots or local level.
“Until we have every state government determined to organise its people in terms of information gathering, we may not be able to defeat terror.
“It is not the weaknesses of the armed forces.
“It is the same way the Americans are getting frustrated in Afghanistan.
“If the terrorists there were to stand against the Nigerian armed forces, they will not last 30 minutes and will be completely destroyed.
“If we are organizing our people, I believe we would have defeated terror by now.
“You need the cooperation of every little unit to expose these people who are terrorizing the people.
“The entire North must prepare its traditional rulers, each village head, each religious leader and the people to create the necessary synergy and mobilize the people against Boko Haram.
“We need to speak with one voice against terrorism.
“But the right political mobilization must be put in place and I think that this is what the media should support.
“If we destroy our armed forces, we do not have alternatives.
“These are the people being killed daily and they are doing a lot for this country.
“These are people whose children are being turned into orphans.
“This is a guerrilla warfare and we believe that Nigerians can help to win it if we prepare ourselves and organize ourselves to defeat terrorism by mobilizing our people to give information about the terrorists.”
Trending
- Yahaya Bello: Tread softly, Arewa group tells EFCC
- Ondo 2024: 171,922 accredited for APC primaries
- Intimate Affairs: Assisted fatherhood, by Funke Egbemode
- NGE, UNICEF sign MoU to boost advocacy for children’s rights
- Killings: No sane foreigner will invest in Nigeria — TY Danjuma
- Alake backs Oyo’s quest for mining licences
- Plateau: Police release casualty figures in latest gunmen attack
- Yahaya Bello: Tread softly, Arewa group tells EFCC