Nigerien soldiers pictured patrolling near the Nigerian border in 2015,
when the country was first plagued by Boko Haram attacks in its
southeast region (AFP Photo/Issouf Sanogo)
The Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) national caretaker committee has described the defeat of
the Boko Haram by chasing them out of the Sambisa forest as a great
milestone in the fight against insurgency in the country.
In a
statement signed by its spokesman, Dayo Adeyeye, the party, however,
noted that the success
resulted from the strong foundation laid by the
Goodluck Jonathan administration.
The statement pointed out that
the boost recorded by the war against insurgents was what made it
possible for the 2015 general elections to hold in those war-ravaged
parts of the North Eastern parts of the country.
The PDP also stated that the clearing of the Sambisa forest is a critical milestone but not the
end of the war against the insurgency.
It
urged the Federal Government and the military to not rest on their oars
until the entire North East is rid completely of them.”
“Beyond
Sambisa all the other forests which criminals used as hideouts and bases
must equally be cleared by the military. Forests such as Birnin Gwari,
Zamfara, Southern Kaduna, Enugu and Benue have become killing fields.
They must all be cleared of criminal elements.” The statement added.
The
opposition party said: “We congratulate Nigerians for this important
milestone in the long and bitter struggle against the forces of evil
that have wreaked so much suffering and hardship on our people in the
last few years.
“We also congratulate the President for his
dogged pursuit of the war against the insurgency. We are happy that he
has built on the efforts of his predecessors. Whatever we are witnessing
now is as a result of all the efforts and sacrifices of the past and
present.
“Nigerians and the international community will recall
that the war effort received a major boost in the weeks leading up to
the 2015 general elections. The insurgents were virtually annihilated – a
feat that made it possible for elections to hold peacefully in almost
all the Local Government Areas of all the states in the North East last
year. We are therefore very much delighted with the continuation of this
great effort by the President.”
It continued: “We salute the men
and women of our beloved armed forces. Their courage, determination and
sacrifice made this achievement possible. The men and women of the
Nigerian armed forces have served and continue to serve with distinction
in many peacekeeping operations all over the world. We salute them for
fighting with great courage to keep the peace in their own Country.
“We
also thank the international community for their support and
encouragement particularly, those countries that have helped in the
procurement of critical military hardware.
Source: Guardian
0 Comments