The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has reportedly stated that some governors in the country use the President as a shield for their poor performance in office.
Disclosing this in an article on his official Facebook page, he stated that, “For more than 13 years, the once peaceful State had become a theatre of bloodletting, characterized by bombings, maiming, killings, abductions, and other horrendous acts. In fact, it had spread all over the North East, then to the North West, North Central, including Abuja, the seat of the Federal Government.”
He posited that, “The country was about to be overrun, till Muhammadu Buhari came in 2015, and took the battle to the insurgents. They were clobbered and driven out of major parts of the North, till they got circumscribed in Borno, which was the epicenter of the insurgency.”
Adesina maintained that, “So Gov Zulum was the appropriate person to brief the country on efforts made, successes attained, and what remained to be done. What did he tell the Press?”
He added that, “Insurgency has been a curse to the North East, and Borno State in particular. In fact, the total loss is in the region of $7 billion. Apart from thousands of human lives, destroyed infrastructure include 900,000 houses, 5,000 classrooms, roads, bridges, 713 energy distribution lines, 1,600 water sources, and telecommunication infrastructure, and other public installations. At least 49,311 widows had been spawned, with 49,917 orphans.”
Be questioned that, “But is it a hopeless case? Must we throw our hands up in surrender? Hear the emissary of hope called Zulum, a veritable Nigerian star, and inspiring public servant.”
He continued that, “With the mass surrender of Boko Haram insurgents, normalcy is expected to return to most parts of North East soon….The gradual return of peace can be attributed to the commitment and collaboration on the part of the State and the Federal Government.”
He remarked that, “Still some good news: “Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are returning to their communities, farming is picking up, markets are reopening like Monguno market, the one in Damasak, and in Gubio. Such level of achievements will never have been possible without collaboration and creating of enabling environment. We have rehabilitated up to 50,000 houses, major roads like Maiduguri to Damso, Maiduguri to Gwoza, Banki-Bama , have been reopened.”
He affirmed that, “A lot of advances have been made in the anti-insurgency war, but we can’t say the final hurrah yet. The Governor thinks we might need the help of mercenaries, something President Buhari, a retired army general, is opposed to. The President can’t fathom that the same Nigerian Army that performed excellently in Burma, Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and other theaters of conflict, should find it impossible to extirpate Boko Haram. Does it then mean Zulum disagrees with the President?”
He restated that, “Governance is not static. The President disagreed with the idea of mercenaries in the past, but he may have cause to reconsider. Even countries that are stronger than us have cause to seek external help when necessary. The Governor gives reason for the level of success recorded so far, which holds vital lessons for some cantankerous States helmsmen in the country: one of the fundamental reasons we continue to succeed in our fight against insurgency is that there was never a time I asked to see Mr President, and I was denied access.”
He made it known that, “And that is President Buhari for you. Give every person his due. Some Governors abuse him in daytime, come to the Presidential Villa under cover of darkness, and he still opens the doors to them.”
Adesina emphasized that, “Some Governors think they can be heroes by antagonizing the President. If they owe salaries and pensions, once the month is ending, they begin to abuse the President, thinking their people would forget the outstanding salaries and pensions. When they have not built a single kilometer of road, it is Buhari. When infrastructure has decayed under them, it is Buhari. When they can’t secure the lives and property of the people they govern, it is Buhari. They play to the gallery, thinking they will receive applause from their people. No, the only sound the people hear is the rumbling from their bellies, due to hunger. And they know where their problems come from.”
He disclosed that, “A couple of weeks earlier, the media had been awash with stories of two local governments being under Boko Haram occupation, credited to the Governor, making it seem contrary to the position of the President that no Nigerian territory is now in the hands of terrorists. What’s the truth?”
He revealed that, “The two local governments are not under Boko Haram occupation. It is just that the people don’t feel safe enough to return home. Boko Haram is not in charge of the places. The military actually occupy the local governments, not insurgents. Just that the people don’t feel confident enough to return yet.”
Commending the Borno State Governor, Adesina stated that, “Governor Zulum is sure doing great things in Borno State, in terms of human and infrastructural development. A 25 years development plan and 10 years strategic transformation initiatives have been formulated.”
He added that, “Our vision is a secured, competitive agri-business and commercial hub anchored on prosperous, dignified people and sustained development. In 10 years, we plan to have a self-reliant Borno with over 70% productive population.”
He also said that, “And the half, nay, one quarter, has not yet been told. Gov Zulum is a star of this administration, and of this generation. Like I wrote before, we shall surely be hearing much more of him in the months and years to come, God willing.”
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