“Boko Haram Insurgency Designed To Destabilize, Destroy Nigeria” – Buhari

By Akinwale Kasali

President Muhammadu Buhari believes that Boko Haram terrorists who have crippled the economy and brought so much agony and pains and tears to North Eastern States was designed not only to destabilize Nigeria but to destroy it.

Boko Haram group and its attendant ideology — which abhors Western education — officially known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, is an Islamic terrorist organisation that has troubled Nigeria’s North with targeted bombings and offensives since 2009.

But an obviously happy President Buhari said the Nigerian Armed Forces have degraded the sect significantly since 2015 when he came into office.

“I just came back from Adamawa and Yobe States. During the visit to both States, I listened carefully to what the people and officials had to say. And they all said the situation has improved since 2015, especially in Borno State.

“Boko Haram was just fraudulent and a plot to destroy Nigeria. You can’t say people should not learn; the people need to grow intellectually,’’ he said when he received Executive members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the State House, Abuja.

In a Statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, on Wednesday, titled ‘Count on us to further improve security, reposition economy before leaving office, President Buhari assured

that the government is now focused on rebuilding infrastructure and re-orientation on education in the North-east.

He also promised that the gains recorded in security will be further consolidated, and more attention will be given to the economy, before handing over on May 29, 2023.

“I am very grateful for your visit to the Presidential Villa, and I agree with you on some of the observations you have made. The question of insecurity is most important to us because unless a country or institution is at peace, it will be difficult to manage.

“I just came back from Adamawa and Yobe States. During the visit to both states, I listened carefully to what the people and officials had to say. And they all said the situation had improved since 2015, especially in Borno State.

“Boko Haram was just fraudulent and a plot to destroy Nigeria. You can’t say people should not learn; the people need to grow intellectually,’’ he said.

Buhari told the Catholic Bishops that the Government will continue rebuilding infrastructure in parts of the country affected by terrorist attacks, while emphasising that terrorists had no control over any space in Nigeria.

“Some people have acknowledged the difference,’’ he added.

As regards the economy, the President said creditors had full confidence in Nigeria, with the capacity to utilize resources and repay loans before the approvals were granted.

“We are credible, that’s why the countries and institutions agreed to support our development with the loans,’’ he stated.

He lamented that the destruction of oil facilities slowed revenue generation, and the Government would be harder on saboteurs.

President Buhari said that some of the challenges faced in the past, which include coups and counter-coups, and civil war, had prepared Nigeria for survival.

“If you look at the economy, we are trying hard to rely more on ourselves. Nigerians rely more on agriculture for livelihood, and we are putting in our best to enable more people, and diversify.

“We thank God that Nigeria is still one. We should not forget that more than a million died for the nation to survive.”