More than 24 hours after Fulani herdsmen killed over 40 people and raped mothers and daughters in Ukpabu Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State, President Buhari has finally condemned the killings.
The belated condemnation that was simultaneously conveyed through a press statement issued by Shehu Garba and a speech delivered by Lai Mohammed, minister of information, opens up the government’s bid to cover up what is considered Buhari`s insensitivity in many quarters.
A source at the presidency who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the condemnation was a response to the public outcry that greeted the President silence.
Sam Omatseye, a Bola Tinubu surrogate, in his column in titled “Cow boy and Herdsmen had lampooned President Buhari. In his words,
“ Buhari ought to come out and condemn the herdsmen in clear and unambiguous terms. It is moral cowardice not to do so. People are dying, daughters are being defiled, families displaced. If Buhari could condemn El-Zakzaky and his Shi’ite men on television, we expect no less from him, especially since he is widely recognised as their patron.”
The absence of Buhari’s intervention and personal voice is interpreted as a tacit encouragement. If a patron keeps silence, the tyranny goes on. He needs to urgently counter this impression. I know he can. The world is waiting.”
Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) in statement issued Monday night, tittled “Ending upsurge of attacks on communities by herdsmen now a national priority”, said following continued reports of attacks by “herdsmen” on communities across the country, particularly Monday’s attack on Ukpabi Nimbo in Enugu State, President Muhammadu Buhari assures all Nigerians, once again, of his administration’s continued commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property in all parts of the country.
“President Buhari unreservedly condemns the attack on Ukpabi Nimbo on other such acts of extreme violence against communities in other states of the Federation,” Shehu said.
Acting on the President’s directive, the Inspector-General of Police and heads of the nation’s other security agencies are already taking urgent steps to fully investigate the attacks, apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Ending the recent upsurge of attacks on communities by herdsmen reportedly armed with sophisticated weapons is now a priority on the Buhari Administration’s agenda for enhanced national security and the Armed Forces and Police have clear instructions to take all necessary action to stop the carnage.
In keeping with the President’s directive, the Inspector-General of Police, the General Officer Commanding the 82nd Division of the Nigerian Army and the Director of the Department of State Security in Enugu State have visited Ukpabi Nimbo to personally oversee investigations into the attack on the community and ongoing efforts to apprehend the culprits.
Meanwhile, President Buhari is scheduled to meet with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Wednesday to receive further briefing on the attack on Ukpabi Nimbo and discuss additional measures to forestall similar attacks and restore public confidence.
The President urges all Nigerians to remain calm and assured of his administration’s readiness to deploy all required personnel and resources to remove this new threat to the collective security of the nation.
In the same vien,Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, at book launch, said, the President gave the order in his address at the public presentation of a book entitled: “Who will love my country: Ideas for building the Nigeria of our dream,” written by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said, “Before making my remarks about the book, let me use this platform to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the attack perpetrated on the Ukpabu Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State on Monday. I deeply sympathise with all those who lost dear ones, as well as those who lost their properties, in the attack.
“I have directed the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General of Police to secure all communities under attacks by herdsmen, and to go after all the groups terrorizing innocent people all over the country. This government will not allow these attacks to continue.”
President Buhari said in writing the book, the author struck the right notes when he enjoined leaders to carry out programmes that will enhance the prosperity, happiness and living conditions of citizens and stressed the need for change in several areas, including attitudinal change, especially as it concerns corruption and impunity and the need for Nigerians to love their country.
“He (Senator Ekweremadu) demonstrated in the book that Nigerians can only build a Nigeria of their dreams if they make bold efforts to love her above their individual selves and narrow interests,” the President remarked.
He aligned with the views canvassed by Senator Ekweremadu in the book and said for his government, those words propounded by the author amount to preaching to the converted.
“Our mantra is change, starting with individual attitudinal change. That explains why this Administration will soon launch a major campaign, tagged ‘Change begins with me’, aimed at getting Nigerians to realize that the change they so much desire starts with them. If we all change our ways for the better, the society itself will change” he said.
While endorsing the need to secure the social welfare of the people as encapsulated in the book, the President said it was in line with this that his administration designed the 2016 budget to bring millions of Nigerians out of poverty, enhance the living conditions of the citizens and put smiles on their faces.
“Our 500 billion Naira Social Intervention Fund, which is unprecedented, will, among others, create jobs for 500,000 unemployed graduates and 370,000 unemployed non-graduates; provide loans for 1 million Nigerians, including market men and women as well as artisans, to start up small businesses; feed 4.5 million school children; ensure conditional cash transfers to the most vulnerable (not unemployed graduates) citizens and provide scholarships to students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” he said.
President Buhari challenged Nigerians to make bold efforts to love their country above their individual selves and narrow interests, saying anyone who puts his or her country over and above other interests will not engage in unbridled corruption, divert money meant for public use to private purposes or divert money for the national treasury into private pockets.
“When we put the public interest above our personal interests, the society benefits, but when the reverse is the case, the society suffers,” he said.
The President congratulated the author for investing his time and energy in writing such a relevant and well-written book that inspires love of country among Nigerians.
