Be fair in your security analysis, Tiv youth cautions Obasanjo


The Tiv Youth Council Worldwide (TYCW) has counseled former President Olusegun Obasanjo to act statesmanly and desist from making unguarded statements suggesting a defeat comments on the security challenges confronting the nation. 

In a statement signed by president of the group, Mike Msuaan, while reacting to a statement made by the former president at an event organised recently by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa in Abuja said, “President Buhari has done his best.

“That is what he can do. If we are expecting anything more than what he has done or what he is doing, that means we are whipping a dead horse and there is no need. Then, where do we go from here? We cannot fold our hands. I believe that is part of what we’re doing here and what we will continue to be doing. How do we prepare for post-Buhari? Buhari has done his best.”

Reacting to Obansanjo’s statement, Mike admonished former President Obasanjo to be fair in his analysis of security trajectory of the country. 

He said, “There was a time in our history where bombing of worship centres and public places became the order of the day. Abuja, the Federal capital territory was not left out. Boko Haram had captured and hoisted flags in 19 local government areas of Borno state indicating a total capture. But today, the governor of Borno state is rehabilitating and returning many of the IDPs back to their communities. 

“In recent history, President Muhammadu Buhari remains the only president who has purchased several sophisticated hardware for the military and other security to tackle insecurity in the country. He has invested so much to position our security agencies to combat insurgency, banditry and kidnapping. 

“President Buhari has always assured Nigerians that he does not want to hand over an insecure country to his successor. Obasanjos comment is defeatist. It is capable of killing the morale of the officers and Nigerians. 

“Success is being recorded with the elimination of many terrorists commanders and their members, with thousand others surrendering to the superior fire power of the Nigerian military. 

“President Buhari has responded to the call by many well meaning Nigerians to eliminate the terrorists, bandits and criminals. That at no point should government negotiate with these elements. In doing this, other measures to address poverty and the educational dearth in the country are also being put in place. 

“We have observed that at some point, former president obasanjo wrote that, military force alone is the solution to eliminating these terrorists. We find it strange that he has said this time that, military force alone cannot stop insurgency, banditry and other criminal activities. That the stick and banana approach be used. 

“We understand president Obasanjo antics, in the build up to every election, he atempts to stir these kind of sentiments against incumbent presidents. Obasanjo presents himself as the only qualified Nigerian. He did same to Goodluck Jonathan and attempted this in the 2019 election against President Buhari. 

“To address traditional and religious and other stakeholders with such tone is attempting to set them against the government of President Buhari. But just like Obasanjo said in his address, Boko Haram could have been defeated at the early stages. It started when he, Obasanjo was president. His wrong action or inaction is the reason it has grown to become a monster. 

“We call on Nigerians to continue to have confidence in the determination of President Buhari to fight all forms of criminality in the country. The citizens should continue to provide security agencies with the needed information to track down and arrest these criminal elements.”