Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the Turaki Adamawa has revealed that in his own capacity, he prevented Islamic fundamentalists, Boko Haram from having a firm grip on his home state while declaring that if he were the President of Nigeria, the insurgency would not take place in the country.
Abubakar made this known in Yola yesterday while speaking at the distribution of relief materials to over 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at American University of Nigeria (AUN), drawn from all over IDPs camps across the state to commemorate his 70th birthday celebrations.
“If you recalled, while we are in office in 2002, such a small up raising, very similar to this Boko Haram, reared their head in Yobe State, then, we smashed it immediately.
“So I think it requires a steadfast leadership, a leadership that is decisive.”
He stated that he would have used all at his disposal to ensure that Boko Haram did not take place in any part of North-Eastern Nigeria and else where in the country.
“We never heard anything about it again, until we left government.”
Abubakar regretted that Boko Haram took over seven of the 21 Local Government Areas of Adamawa, adding that what he did to prevent Boko Haram from completely over running Adamawa State is between him and Almighty God.
The former Vice President stated that the Adamawa Peace Initiative was put together to ensure peaceful coexistence of Adamawa State and its people.
The relief materials were distributed at Saint Theresa Catholic Church, the Jamatu Nasrul Islam Headquarters and American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola.
The President of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Margie Ensign lauded the philanthropic efforts of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for sustaining Adamawa Peace Initiative for almost five years since creation.
“No body ever assisted us like you do within the period under review, in providing succour to the vulnerable like Atiku did.”