The Turaki Vanguard has said that Nigeria has so far lost a total of 16 local government areas to Boko Haram with 9 in Borno state, 2 in Yobe state and 5 in Adamawa state.
According to the group, the total landmass members of the sect are now occupying is the equivalent of three states of the federation.
In a statement reacting to what it called “insults” on Atiku Abubakar by the senior special assistant to the President on public affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, the Turaki Vanguard cautioned that the situation prevailing in the country does not call for politicking.
The group said that Dr. maligned Atiku’s intentions for addressing a world press conference on Monday, 2nd November, during which he expressed concerns over the dire security situation in the northeast states of Nigeria and called on the international community’s support.
The statement signed by the group’s President, Oladimeji Fabiyi said that at this critical stage in Nigeria’s history, trading insults is a waste as it advised that Nigerians should deploy efforts on how to recover the lost territories.
The group said that President Jonathan cannot possibly want to go down in history as the only Nigerian Commander-in-Chief to have ever lost territory to terrorists.
“He still has a chance to redeem his legacy.The territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is at stake and must be restored.
“At a time like this, when Nigeria is not engaged in any international war, thousands of our people are internally displaced while thousands more are refugees in neighbouring countries. Even many top Federal government officials can no longer return to their homes.
“Madagali, hometown of Governors Ngilari and Fintiri of Adamawa have fallen to terrorists. Gulak, the hometown of President Jonathan’s onetime political adviser has also been taken. As well as Michika, which is home to the largest number of military generals in Adamawa after Numan. Two former Governors of Adamawa also come from this area – Boni Haruna and Saleh Michika. And particularly of interest is Mubi, which is the hometown of Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh. His palatial mansion in Vimtim village was crushed and reduced to rubble.
“Being concerned about these issues should be the focus of the Nigerian government, rather than disparaging concerned citizens.
The group supported Atiku in his call on the international community for support for the people of Northeast Nigeria, adding: “we cannot depend on the support of a government which is occupied with personal attacks while a section of the country is burning
“We also believe that the action of the Presidency in instigating the withdrawal of the security attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal is a manifestation of gangster politics. Such action from the PDP-led federal government at this point of national emergency amounts to a set-back to the country’s democratization process.
“It is not in doubt that our democracy has grown past the age of arbitrary politics when a sitting president sees the whole country as his fiefdom. There is subsisting judicial pronouncement on the matter of defection, but if the Presidency and the security agencies were in doubt, they should have sought judicial interpretation from the court.” [myad]
