- The president’s aide, Femi Adesina, has stated that the war against the insurgency in the northeast would not be won solely by declaring a state of emergency in the zone
- Adesina’s statement was in response to a comment by Chief Edwin Clark, that President Buhari should declare a state of emergency in the troubled region
- According to him, the Buhari government was employing a different approach to bringing a decisive and final end to the insurgency
The presidency has reacted to the comment by Chief Edwin Clark, former federal commissioner for information, that a state of emergency should be declared in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states by President Muhammadu Buhari, Channels TV reports.
NAIJ.com gathers that Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, stated that the war against the insurgency in the northeast would not be won by declaring a state of emergency.
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He stated: “Under President Goodluck Jonathan, state of emergency was declared in those three states; what did it achieve? That is already telling you that it goes beyond a state of emergency.”
Adesina stressed that the Buhari-led government would take a completely different approach to tackling the Boko Haram terrorists. He said: “What should happen is bringing a decisive and final end to the insurgency raving those states and by the grace of God, we are almost there.”
The presidential also explained the rationale behind the recently announced plans by the president to visit some troubled states in the country; stressing that it was not for political reasons.
In his words: “The president is going to those states to visit everyone; all stakeholders are going to be invited for meetings – traditional rulers, farmers, herdsmen, community leaders.”
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Recall that NAIJ.com previously reported that Chief Edwin Clark called on President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend all democratic institutions in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, in order to allow the military have full control of the states.
The south-south leader said the president should appoint very senior military officers to handle the states for six months; after which, the Boko Haram insurgency would then be buried forever in these states of the northeast.
He urged President Buhari to, in consonance with his constitutional powers, declare a full scale state of emergency in these frontline states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, similar to what had happened in Plateau state.
Survivors of Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng