Monday, 28 April 2014

Minister weeps over Boko Haram victims

Minister of State for Power, Mohammed Wakil, says  he wept in Borno State after beholding the gory sight of women and children wounded by Boko Haram insurgents  in hospitals, describing the situation as pathetic.

Wakil spoke in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Regretting the devastation occasioned by the attacks on  the people of the state by insurgents, Wakil said, “At the hospitals, I wept seeing  the many injured victims of Boko Haram. From the general hospitals  to the specialist hospitals, we saw the real victims of the insurgency- women, kids. The situation is pathetic.”

The Minister,  however, said  security agencies alone should not be left with the job of ensuring peace and tranquility in the country as it was the business of all.

 “We must agree that security is everybody business. It is no longer about the Federal Government as many commentators often say. The anti- terror campaign is about states, religious institutions, traditional rulers, civil societies, professional groups alongside the security agencies”, he said.

“It will be unfair to blame President Goodluck Jonathan for the insurgency or for the lingering conflict. The Federal Government, with support of other stakeholders, has curtailed the insurgency to a large extent. Within Borno State, the insurgents are no longer able to attack hard targets; they now kill defenceless citizens. So, we should learn to be supportive of our servicemen and women.

“Whatever shortcoming we may notice in the anti -terror war, we should stand by our troops. We should criticize them constructively and avoid utterances and actions that are capable of thwarting their gallantry efforts.

“But one fact is also clear - terrorism is a global issue. We have a trans- national conflict at hand. Like I said earlier, Nigeria shall overcome. But we all must rally round Mr. President in this fight against  terrorism.”

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