Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the newly appointed service chiefs are not new to the country’s violent conflict zones and also experienced in their own right to tackle the insecurity.
The Minister stated this during a media chat on Thursday in Abuja. The Minister also used enjoined Nigerians to support the newly appointed service chiefs to deliver on their mandate which is apparently challenging.
“The President has made the right choice being the Commander in Chief and also considering his background. As the C in C he has credible information at his disposal which informed this correct decision.
These new service chiefs have been involved in activities in the theater of conflict. They are not new to it. They have the requisite experience to manage the task ahead.”
The Minister said the new service chiefs should take off from where their predecessors left.
“Nigerians must ensure they receive the needed support to achieve the desired result on this sensitive national assignment.”
The Minister also said Nigerians should also show appreciation to the former service chiefs for their contribution in the war against insurgency and other criminality in the country.
In answering a question about the level of successes recorded in the area of insecurity in the land, the Minister still maintained that the security situation in Nigeria is better presently than prior to 2015 when the administration came to power.
“I speak to figures and facts. Prior to 2015, dozens of Local Governments were under the control of insurgents in Borno state, the case is different now.”
The Minister said it is a fact that there are challenges but the government was facing them head-on with positive results to show.
“Prior to 2015 multiple cities like; Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Damaturu among others were witnessing regular bombings and suicide attacks.
Prior to that period, people must be screened before gaining access to public buildings and other facilities, even places of worship but it has reduced drastically now.”
He challenged those who believe his statement is incorrect to come up with their fact sheets with figures.
It would be recalled that in December 2011, about 80 people were killed in Madallah near Abuja, also in December 2010 multiple were killed in Jos, also in December 2012 people were killed in Yobe during a church service and Police and Army formations in some parts of the country attacked among others.
Dominica Nwabufo
