Connect with us

Politics

I can’t understand Boko Haram phenomenon – Atiku

Published

on

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said he did not understand the Boko Haram phenomenon, lamenting that despite the efforts of the Nigerian Army, the insurgency had not been eliminated.

The former vice president stated this on Sunday during the People’s Town Hall 2023 series aired on Channels TV which was monitored by The PUNCH.

Atiku, who featured with his running mate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, responded to questions on insecurity and was asked about his position on Boko Haram.

He said, “I still cannot understand why we should have Boko Haram. You see, I served in Borno State when it was in the North-East, and as a Customs officer and I was patrolling the entire North-East, so I am very conversant with the vegetation and with the border areas. I still cannot find a place in the Borno areas where anybody can hide and cannot be seen. I cannot understand honestly, the Boko Haram phenomenon.

“Sometimes when returning from Europe, 30 feet above, I could see a man walking in Borno State, so where is the place to hide? To the extent that they say there is a place called Sambisa forest. I have been there. I didn’t see a forest. It is just shrubs here and there.

Advertisement

“So we have deployed the Nigerian military which used to be one of the best in the world. They have fought, you know, a number of the international arena and they have excelled and here we have deployed them with their might and everything and we just could not eliminate Boko Haram. So I am puzzled. So maybe when I get there, I will understand, but honestly, I cannot understand the Boko Haram phenomenon.

“Everything is there. Politics is there, business is there, security, everything. Of course, the solution is leadership, strong leadership to deal with all these interest groups within the military and outside the military.”

When asked about his position on militancy if it arose again in the PDP administration, Okowa said with appropriate leadership, there would not be a recurrence of such in the South-South.

He said, “I believe that once you provide the needed governance, it is unlikely that militancy will return. You first need to ask what led to that. People felt ignored. People felt excluded from governors, they were not seeing the infrastructure. Their children didn’t find the space to get properly educated, to get access to justice.”

Atiku also disclosed his plan to remove subsidy and negotiate with relevant stakeholders to provide palliatives for citizens.

Advertisement

He said, “I have already announced that we are going to remove subsidy and then of course negotiate with all stakeholders on how we can establish palliatives for removing subsidies.

“Whether we decide to remove subsidy or not, based on the Petroleum Industry Act, by June next year, subsidy will have to stop and that is the law that has been passed by the National Assembly. But as far back as last election season, I announced that I was going to remove subsidy.

“When I was the Vice President, we were to remove subsidy in four stages. As the Chairman of the Economic Council, I supervised and implemented Phase One and Phase Two. By the time we got to Phase Three, it was suspended. If we had gone with that programme, by the time we left office, there wouldn’t have been any more subsidies for any government to inherit.”

On his part, Okowa said subsidy removal would provide funds for the education and health sectors.

“Education is suffering, health service is suffering. These two areas are very critical to the larger majority of Nigerians who are in the poverty area.

Advertisement

“And it is important that we begin to free funds to address issues of education and to address issues of health so that we can provide help to a large majority of our people and provide education for our children and ensure that we’re able to develop every Nigerian to such an extent that they can freely compete for themselves and be able to take care of themselves,” he said.

In his response to the question on how he would tackle the shortage of foreign exchange, Atiku said, “I would direct the Central Bank to stop multiple exchanges so that we close the gap.

“And then of course, secondly, how do we also encourage foreign investors to bring in forex from abroad? I think is very key as far as that challenge is concerned. So basically if you can do that, you will then make it available for as much as possible.

“For most of the industries or factories first of all we will ensure that there is only one exchange rate, not multiple exchange rates as we currently have because the multiple exchange rate regime is corrupted and the people who desire the foreign exchange so I think this is a very serious issue. It is not a question of what role I can bring it but it is a mechanism by the central bank.”

Regarding the moribund refineries in the country, Atiku explained that they should be privatised.

Advertisement

He said, “For the four refineries that don’t work, please, let’s give them to the private sector. I mean, in every great nation in this country, you find that the private sector is the driver of the economy. They provide the jobs, they provide the prosperity, and they do everything. Why should we be different?”

PUNCH

Politics

Elections in Nigeria: There’ll be no more need for voter cards – INEC

Published

on

INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced plans to phase out the Permanent Voter Cards, PVC.

INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made this known at a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs, held at the INEC Conference Room, Abuja on Thursday.

This was part of the identified 142 recommendations released by the Commission which deals with the general state of preparedness, voter management, voter education and public communication, political parties and candidate management.

Other areas of recommendation include electoral operations and logistics management, election officials and personnel, partnership and collaboration, monitoring and supervision, election technology, voting and result management, election security, electoral offences and the electoral legal framework.

The Chairman said there are eight recommendations among the 142 which require legislative action by the National Assembly.

“The Commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVC, as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed.

He, however, said that those who already have the Permanent Voter Cards can still use them to vote.

He added, “But going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation. ”

Yakubu said this new development will save costs and further eliminate the issues around the collection of Permanent Voter Cards.

He also said the practice of buying up the Permanent Voter Cards from voters to disenfranchise them, would be reduced.

Continue Reading

Politics

Ghana elections: ‘Revise electoral laws’ – Atiku urges National Assembly

Published

on

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the National Assembly to urgently revisit the current electoral laws and processes to enhance their efficiency, transparency, and credibility, aligning them with global best practices.

In a statement on Monday, Atiku cited the recent elections in Ghana as a model for necessary amendments that would eliminate ambiguities in the electoral process.

Atiku emphasised that the National Assembly should revise the laws to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deliver elections that are transparent, quick, and credible.

He noted that the swift declaration of results in Ghana, where contestants received results by Sunday morning after a Saturday election, underscores the importance of incorporating efficient technology into the electoral process.

The statement read in part: “The recently concluded presidential election in Ghana, our next-door neighbour, presents a wake-up call to INEC and the National Assembly on the need to review our electoral process and make it more efficient, transparent, credible and in line with best practices across the world. There is a need for INEC to embrace technology and make it help the process.”

The PDP chieftain argued that any practices that allow manual conduct of elections or hinder real-time result upload on the IREV system must be eradicated, proposing that elections failing to meet these technological standards should be declared null and void.

“Any excuse that still allows some officials to conduct elections manually or gives the impression that results cannot be uploaded in real-time on the IREV should be eliminated. Any election that does not meet the technology threshold should be nullified,” he said.

Atiku stressed the need to discourage any attempts to sabotage technology to manipulate results.

Continue Reading

Politics

2027 presidency: ‘I’ve asked him twice’ – Sowunmi reveals Atiku’s reaction

Published

on

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and a former spokesman, Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign, Segun Sowunmi, has said that the former vice president is yet to respond to his question on whether he (Atiku) is contesting for the presidency again.

Although the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has not declared his intention to join the 2027 presidential race, his body language looks like one who’s warming up to try for the third consecutive time.

However, Sowunmi told Channels Television that the 2023 presidential candidate is still in a reflective mood.

Atiku Abubakar is one man I love with my bones. The heart will declay quickly but the bone is the last thing that will declay.

“I have asked him twice, ‘are you running? Are you done? If you are running, what do we do with this structure? If you’re not done we have to do something different’.

“We can’t be doing the same thing and expect a different result on two different occasions with gaps.

“I’m a good man to have even asked him the third time. He was quiet, he was still in a reflective mood. He’s not said ‘no’, he’s not said ‘yes’ and I respect that.

“Any sensible person should know that the burden of election is heavy. No human being that has had the kind of experience, challenges and even the kind of betrayal Atiku has endured should not reflect deeply before saying ‘I’m going to run’.

“I don’t do guess work. I’ve asked him twice, he didn’t answer. When he answers, whatever answer he gives, we’ll take it to the next level.”

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Naija Gatekeeper News