APC Lauds Jonathan’s Visit To Maiduguri, Urges Support For Fighting Soldiers

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) Friday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to quickly address the problem of low morale besetting the military tackling the Boko Haram terrorist group.

  Congratulating President Jonathan for finally finding the courage to visit Maiduguri to pep up the gallant troops battling the Boko Haram insurgency, the party maintained that the President has more trips to make to Chibok, Buni Yadi and Potiskum, among others.

 In a statement issued in Makurdi by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the President should follow up his visit to the epicentre of the Boko Haram battle with visits to the parents of the 219 missing Chibok girls as well as the families of the boys who were killed at the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, last year.

  APC noted that it is only by doing so that the President can begin to refute the report that his visit to Maiduguri on Thursday was politically motivated and aimed at laying the foundation for his impending electioneering campaign swing across the north, especially to Maiduguri on January 21.

  “We have always said the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces should never be afraid to visit anywhere in the country. We have always said the President should not just be the Commander-in-Chief but also the Consoler-in-Chief. We are glad that the President has finally agreed with us.

  “But it is necessary to remind the President that he must not play politics with human lives, and that he must stop putting Jonathan first, Jonathan second and Jonathan third, at the expense of the nation,” APC said.

  The party added that now that the President has woken up from his slumber, he should also address the issue of the low morale of the troops and their lack of the necessary fighting equipment if they are to effectively battle the terrorists who have killed and maimed thousands of innocent citizens.

  “It is instructive that a few hours after President Jonathan visited Maiduguri, the global news channel, CNN, aired an interview with some Nigerian soldiers who complained of very low morale among the rank and file, lack of fighting equipment and very poor welfare. Another blamed the terrible situation being faced by the troops on massive corruption,” it added.

  The party further restated its call on the National Assembly to probe how the billions of naira that had been appropriated for defence and security were spent.