Senate commends govt over defeat of Boko Haram

Led by Senator Maina Maji Lawan, who brought a motion of urgent national interest, the lawmakers, especially those from the North East, also pledged their support for the troops.

I want to say that several territories hitherto inaccessible to Nigerian authorities have been liberated. Mongno, which is a high military zone housing a whole brigade of the Nigerian Army, has been liberated,” he noted.

“A total of 20 local councils were inaccessible to Nigerian authorities; painful as it may have been, we elicited the support of this Senate in all the issues. It is only fair that this time, when there are some cheering news, I should mention this to this Senate.”

Elated that his home town, Baga, has also been liberated, Lawan said it was only fair that the people of the area appreciate the efforts of the military, adding: “My home town has been liberated, the effort is ongoing to liberate the rest.

“I think it is only fair that no matter what is left, it is important that we appreciate what is being done, and I want to say that our troops are much more up and doing and we appreciate that effort and ask them to do more so that in the areas liberated, mopping up is concluded for the communities to go back.”

The lawmaker, who had approached the house in the past over the activities of the sect, prayed his colleagues to understand the emotional attachments of those whose personal houses were taken over by terrorists.

Also, Senator Ali Ndume joined his colleagues to commend the Nigerian Armed Forces and those of neighbouring countries that joined in the war against insurgency. He stated: “We have been crying out for the government and the Armed Forces to do something and have given them the support necessary to execute and win this war.

“Results have started coming and we have seen it everywhere. Yesterday, I had to travel from Maiduguri to Kano by road, there is clearly a visible difference from what it used to be six months ago. Some of the villages that were completely abandoned now have their markets thriving and their population coming back. Political activities have started picking up in those areas.

He urged government not to relent in encouraging the military to not only win the war but also be combat-ready in case anything like this comes up again.

“The challenge we faced was that the military did not anticipate this kind of situation and therefore did not prepare for it, nor was it equipped for it,” he said.

However, for Senator Buka Aba Ibrahim, the appreciation should not be limited to the Nigerian military but also spread to their colleagues from Chad and Cameroun.

President of the Senate, David Mark, also lent his voice, stating that when things were not going very well, the chamber spoke out as a united body. Now that things have improved, “I think you should also have the courage to say that things have improved.

“I think we must commend our boys and girls that are in the field. I know that given the right platform, the Armed Forces in this country will prove themselves worthy of the international reputation they have earned.”

“I must also commend the regional forces that have come to cooperate with us – Chad, Niger and Cameroun, not only for their assistance but for the cooperation because it takes much more than just desire to operate together, particularly because they are French speaking and we are Anglophones.