Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has said that the current security situation in the country is “appalling” and accused the government of lacking the political will to address the violence carried out by Islamist militant group, Boko Haram.
In an interview with the Voice of America (VOA) monitored in Abuja, the former vice president said there is need to restore law and order and protect unarmed civilians who he said have often been victims of terror attacks carried out by the Islamist militants.
According to Atiku, the growing insecurity has undermined the country’s economy and has negatively impacted on Nigeria’s reputation in the international community.
“The security situation in the country, I must admit is appalling. I have never seen it this bad – not even during the civil war did we have this sense of insecurity all over the country,” said Abubakar.
He outlined steps that he said could be implemented immediately to resolve the security threats the country faces.
“What we need to have in place is a political leadership that has the will, the courage and the determination to restore law and order. Restoring law and order is a multifaceted approach; both social, economic as well as security,” said Abubakar.
“You must have a political leadership that has vision, the will and the courage to pursue those multifaceted approach.”
“You must have a political leadership that has vision, the will and the courage to pursue those multifaceted approach.”
Government officials rejected Abubakar’s criticism as politically motivated, citing the former vice president’s association with the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
They said Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has demonstrated commitment to addressing the insecurity challenges in spite of the terrorism the country faces, which they said is a global phenomenon that requires international cooperation to combat it.
Some supporters of the ruling PDP said activities of the Boko Haram appear to be politically motivated aimed at embarrassing the government and make it unpopular ahead of the elections. But Abubakar disagreed.
“It’s not supported by any empirical evidence. I think we should stop passing the buck at each other,” he said.
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