President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that he suspects international groups that want to destroy Nigeria are behind the atrocious plight of Boko Haram Nigeria is faced, adding that it is fraudulent even by the name given to the terror group.
He stated this while delivering a keynote address at a lunch organized by the Kano state government on Monday after the commissioning of some federal and state projects.
“When we came into power in 2015, Boko Haram was in control in 13 of the 27 local governments of the state, only four were with the government then.
“More so, half of the local governments in Yobe state were with Boko Haram.
“Today with the help of a patriotic and dedicated governor in Borno state the local governments have been recovered.
“What is Boko Haram? It is very fraudulent. I suspect there’s an international group that wants to destroy Nigeria. If not, how can Boko (western education) be Haram?, the President stated.
Buhari, who was on a state visit to Kano also praised the performance of his administration, especially how it has been able to provide more infrastructure with lesser availability of funds when compared to the past regime.
“I want you to recall that between 1999 and 2019 the NNPC production was 2.1 billion barrels per day at the cost of 100 dollars per barrel. So Nigeria was earning 100 dollars per barrel for 2.1 million barrels a day but look at our infrastructure. Some of them 60 years old, look at our power sector, what can advance without infrastructure?
“But those in charge in those years were going around not only in Nigeria but the world saying they are wonderful but they could not explain what they had done.
“But the cost of petroleum today has gone down to about 37 dollars per barrel which only 1.5 million barrels is produced and yet we have put in place a lot of infrastructure. Look at what we have been able to do”, Buhari added.
He finally thanked Nigerians for their support and cooperation as well as the chance to serve them.
Critics have however argued that no foreign group can determine to bring down Nigeria without local collaborators. If Buhari’s assessment of the security challenges in Nigeria is true, what has his government done to identify the alleged foreign groups and their overriding interest in destroying the country?
More importantly, what has government done to fish out and punish the local accomplices of Boko Haram, for treason? And what did government do when the insurgents and terrorists took over a local government before graduating to thirteen?