The Presidency says it considers a communiqué issued by some ethnic and sectional groups assembled in Abuja recently as the shedding of crocodile tears by selfish leaders.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, stated this in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.
He noted that the affected leaders felt alienated after a transparent and accountable system halted their disproportionate survival on resources of the state.
The communiqué issued by the leaders of some socio-cultural organizations led by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and some ethnic and sectional groups had accused the Muhammadu Buhari administration of incompetence in handling the security situation in the country.
However, the Presidency urged Nigerians to ignore ”the unholy alliance by these groups who are stepping up their assault on the All Progressives Congress administration as it expands its national dominance and moves closer to securing an outright victory in the elections next year.”
The Presidential aide noted with dismay that the refrain about President Buhari not doing anything about security in the country had turned into the number one fake news item being peddled in the media.
”The Presidency refers all the purveyors of falsehood to a State House press release published a few days ago and signed by Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina,” he said
He added that the statement had clearly outlined the government’s major achievements and initiatives in tackling security challenges from January to July, 2018.
Shehu observed that the press release which was titled: “Combating Insecurity in the Country: Lest We Forget – Presidency’’ listed out ongoing security operations across the country.
He said the operations included the Nigerian Army’s Exercise Ayem Akpatuma covering Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger States launched in February to tackle cases of kidnappings, herdsmen/farmers’ clashes, among others.
Shehu maintained that Nigerian Air Force had also established three new Quick Response Wings in Taraba, Nasarawa and Benue States apart from the deployment of Special Forces personnel.
He added that President Buhari had also approved the establishment of a new Battalion of the Nigerian Army and a Police Area Command in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, as part of measures to scale up security in response to the banditry affecting the area.
”We advise Nigerians to read Adesina’s statement if they haven’t yet, or re-read it for better understanding of the efforts to ensure peace in the country.
”It is sad and misleading for anyone to say that President Buhari had not responded to the security challenges in the country.
”No one can honestly say that President Buhari is doing nothing about security.
”It’s just a fake news item being peddled by selfish politicians with vested interests in keeping Nigerians incensed, and it risks being entrenched as reality if we don’t educate ourselves with the truth,” he concluded(NAN)