The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has accused the federal government of
fueling the menace of insurgency in the country with its interest to pay ransom
to insurgents rather than killing or arresting them.
The governor alleged that the continued insurgents'
activities in the country is
a manifestation of internal aggression and not
external one as the people were made to believe.
Speaking at a press conference in Ado Ekiti
on Wednesday, Fayose said the government's alleged failure to tackle the challenge
of insecurity over the time and adoption of an option of paying ransom are
indications that insecurity challenge has become an internal problem caused by
those who are allegedly profiting from it.
According to him, "We don't have external
aggression but an internal one. We are calling on the international community
to look beyond Boko Haram or herdsmen. The international community should come
for a fact finding as well as dig deeper into the killings in Nigeria.
“This is beyond what Boko Haram or herdsmen are
doing. It is more of what the government has failed to do on time. Nigerians
are becoming helpless. Benue State people need international intervention; they
need support. We want to believe that the president has lost it. His approach has
been a cosmetic.
"How would you want us to believe that the
Nigerian army cannot engage herdsmen or Boko Haram? It seems that the reason for
the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari to secure Nigeria has been defeated in
all areas, including corruption and
fight against Boko Haram to secure Nigeria among others.
"You can all see the situation, Nigerians are
angry and hungry on a daily basis as they are being killed by their own
brothers.
“I can't understand why the federal government
cannot take a stand to engage the so called herdsmen. They flaunt their weapons
on the social media and the government looks away. Currently, the All Progressives
Congress (APC)-led government of President Buhari is paying lip service to the
challenges of security of Boko Haram and herdsmen."
Fayose urged Nigerians to challenge the President
to act decisively, saying: "Steps must be taken; Nigeria must realise that
if we fail to challenge the government on this, it would be a sad story for the
coming generation.
"Personally, I am worried as a Nigerian that
we are no longer safe in our fatherland.
“The president's visit to Taraba State is simply
political. After the president left, Taraba people were also killed. I can't believe
that after three months of the killings, the president only went to the
troubled part and spent only one or two hours and left. It is unfortunate.”
Asked if the governors' forum has advised President
Buhari on what to do, he said: "The Governors’ Forum is not the Commander
in Chief of
the country. The present government is not taking
advice. How do you explain a situation where
our president is saying governors should tell their people not to block
cattle route in this 21st century?
“When we are faced with the challenge of people
carrying AK 47 in the name of rearing cows, we are talking of cattle routes in
the 21st century! The defence for cows has become more important
than that of human beings.”
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