By Akinwale Kasali
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State who has never hidden his anger over the various attacks he has faced in the past few weeks from the Boko Haram insurgents has asked the Military to face their constitutional role and leave election matters alone.
Zulum charged the military to concentrate on the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency instead of the forthcoming Ondo State Governorship election which has been the major focus of the military these past weeks.
Zulum said this on Tuesday in reaction to the speech of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, at the opening of the combined Chief of Army Staff Quarterly Conference in Maiduguri, Borno State, where he praised the Officers and Men of the Nigerian Army for the professionalism exhibited the Edo State governorship poll, charging them to do same in Ondo State on Saturday. Zulum asked them not to neglect their fight against insurgency, which is a major priority.
The Governor said that it is worth appreciating the Military for their steadfastness, and successes recorded by Operation Lafiya Dole, which has brought about relative peace in the state and aided to the safe return of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
The Governor pledged his administration’s continued support to military operations in the state through the provision of all the needed moral and material resources.
Zulum stressed the need for the military to intensify the onslaught against the insurgents for a final end to the crisis.
He said: “I want you to change the war narrative all together, to finish the crisis.
“Attack, they say, is the best form of defence.
“The Nigerian Army must therefore take the war to all the hideouts of the Boko Haram insurgents and should not wait and give the insurgents the opportunity of attacking first.
“The Nigerian Army must also embark on confidence building and confidence sharing mechanism, with communities and civil authorities so as to expose the terrorists, their collaborators and sponsors.”
Zulum also urged the Army to use the occasion of the Chief of Army Staff’s conference to look back on the challenges, successes and what is needed to be done to win the war.
While lamenting on the recent deaths of some officers and men in the fight against insurgency, Zulum consoled the army and their families for the losses, adding that the gallant soldiers must not die in vain.
