President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday reaffirmed federal government’s commitment to tackling Nigeria’s challenges, saying, however, that “fixing Nigeria’s problems is a responsibility of all Nigerians.”
Buhari made this assertion at the United States Institute for Peace in Washington D.C. while briefing representatives from the institute and others from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Atlantic Council, National Democratic Institute, International Republican Institute and International Foundation of Electoral System on his hopes for Nigeria and his administration’s commitment to tackling Boko Haram in the north-east.
Buhari said that his administration had put strategies in place to empower the Nigerian Armed Forces to ensure that they win the war in the shortest possible time.
He stressed that defeating the Boko Haram was a major priority of this administration, as the terrorists’ activities had stifled progress and undermined the security of the nation.
The Nigerian leader told the gathering that the Nigerian government had provided about $21 million for the take-off of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to enable the countries involved to jointly combat terrorism, adding that insurgency had made Nigeria live in fear.
He said, “Nigerians have lived in fear for far too long. The impact of insurgency and material causes of insurgency in my country and to my people are unacceptable. We are confident that we will defeat terrorism in our country and our region.
“Defeating Boko Haram and finding a durable solution to the underlining causes of insecurity in Nigeria are therefore the major priorities of this administration. Nigerians understand that terrorism stifles progress and undermine the stability of the society.
“The government that I lead is committed and will do whatever it takes to free Nigeria from the menace of terrorism. No matter how long it takes, we will reclaim every inch of Nigeria’s territory under the control of the Boko Haram,” President Buhari said.
He reiterated that his administration was aware of the challenges ahead of it.
“It will be a long and bruising struggle, but it is a fight we are in to win. Failure is not an option for us and we do not contemplate it.”
He further appealed to the United States executive and legislative arms of government to examine how their government could provide Nigeria with far more counter-terrorism assistance, noting that “the longer we delay, the deadlier the Boko Haram gets.”
Source:Leadership
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