Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, who addressed his country this morning confirmed the fears of his government regarding the social media, which he thinks the generality of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora use to attack his government. He also said he was aware that the ultimate goals of Boko Haram were to destroy Nigeria’s democracy and deny children their right to education, vowing to stop them from achieving such evil goals and objectives.
The president who made a 7.00a.m. nationwide broadcast to commemoration of the 58th independence anniversary, also promised to remain committed to ending insurgency in the North-east. He went ahead to commiserate with victims of Boko Haram insurgency, also praised members of the armed forces, especially those that have been at the forefront of the battle against insurgency. He again promised to address flaws relating to the welfare of the troops that are executing the fight in the affected regions.
Buhari said “Our thoughts and prayers are always with the victims of the Boko Haram’s atrocities and their families. Beyond that, we know that the goals of the Boko Haram terrorists include capturing territories, destroying our democracy and denying our children the right to education. We will not allow them to succeed. I want at this point to pay tribute to the men and women of our armed forces, the police and other security and law enforcement agencies, who have been working under the most difficult conditions to keep the country safe.
“In the process, many have made the supreme sacrifice. As their Commander -In- Chief, I assure these our gallant men and women that I will continue to empower them by deepening their professionalism and providing all the necessary force multipliers and enablers required for them to prevail on the field. I am looking into all reported cases of inadequacies in relation to their entitlements, their welfare and those of their families.”
The president who indirectly reacted to the unparalleled accusations that his government had reintroduced bigotry, nepotism and inflicted division, insecurity and poverty on Nigerians more than any other administrations, said his plan is to aggressively pursue a united, peaceful, secure and prosperous Nigeria. He claimed that Nigeria is currently on the right path but acknowledged that even though there are obvious differences, such differences are incomparable with values and aspirations which unite the country.
According to Buhari, as Nigeria celebrates today, it is a known fact that the country is on the right path…adding, “Although we have our differences, they count for far less than the values, virtues and common aspirations that unite us as a nation. We have so much for which we should be grateful, and in which we should rightly take pride. Our journey is not finished but we have come a long way.”