The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, has assured that from the first day of his administration, Boko Haram would know the strength of will and commitment to rid this nation of terror, and bring back peace and normalcy to the country.
Buhari gave the assurance in the New York Times of April 14, 2015.
He promised his government would do everything in its powers to bring back the Cbibok school girls abducted a year ago by Boko Haram insurgents.
The President-elect said until now, Nigeria had been wanting in its response to Boko Haram threat, adding that when Nigeria’s neighbours were fighting hard to push the terrorists south and out of their countries, our military was not sufficiently supported or equipped to push north.
“As a consequence, the outgoing government’s lack of determination was an accidental enabler of the group, allowing them to operate with impunity in Nigerian territory,” he stated.
Buhari said the lack of reaction was symptomatic of why the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was swept aside last month, adding that for too long they ruled, instead of governing, they became so focused on their self-interest and embroiled in corruption that the duty to react to the anguish suffered by their citizens became alien to them.
“My administration, which will take office on May 29, will act differently — indeed it is the very reason we have been elected. This must begin with honesty as to whether the Chibok girls can be rescued.
“Currently, their whereabouts remain unknown. We do not know the state of their health or welfare, or whether they are even still together or alive. As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them: to do so would be to offer unfounded hope, only to compound the grief if, later, we find we cannot match such expectation.
“But I say to every parent, family member and friend of the children that my government will do everything in its power to bring them home,” he stated.
He said the answer to defeating Boko Haram begins and ends with Nigeria.
“That is not to say that allies cannot help us. My administration would welcome the resumption of a military training agreement with the United States, which was halted during the previous administration. We must, of course, have better co-ordination with the military campaigns our African allies, like Chad and Niger, are waging in the struggle against Boko Haram. But, in the end, the answer to this threat must come from within Nigeria,” he stated.
“We must start by deploying more troops to the front and away from civilian areas in central and southern Nigeria where for too long they have been used by successive governments to quell dissent. We must work closer with our neighbours in co-ordinating our military efforts so that an offensive by one army does not see their country’s lands rid of Boko Haram only to push it across their neighbours’ territory.
“But as our military pushes Boko Haram back, as it will, we must be ready to focus on what else must be done to counter the terrorists. We must address why it is that young people join Boko Haram,” he said.
Buhari said poverty and ignorance are among many reasons vulnerable young people joined militant groups.
“Indeed Boko Haram which translates in English, roughly, as “Western Education Is Sinful” preys on the perverted belief that the opportunities that education brings are sinful. If you are starving and young, and in search of answers as to why your life is so difficult, fundamentalism can be alluring.
“So we must be ready to offer the parts of our country affected by this group an alternative. Boosting education will be a direct counter-balance to Boko Haram’s appeal.
“In particular we must educate more young girls, ensuring they will grow up to be empowered through learning to play their full part as citizens of Nigeria and pull themselves up and out of poverty. Indeed, we owe it to the schoolgirls of Chibok to provide as best an education as possible for their fellow young citizens,” he stated.
“My government will first act to defeat it militarily and then ensure that we provide the very education it despises to help our people help themselves. Boko Haram will soon learn that, as Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” he stated.
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