NATIONAL planning minister Dr Abubakar Sulaiman has said that Nigeria needs to review its relationship with France given the supportive role the country's Francophone neighbours are playing with regards to Boko Haram.
Speaking Ilorin, the Kwara State capital over the weekend, Dr Sulaiman blamed the continued onslaught by Boko Haram terrorists on alleged animosity from Nigeria's Francophone West African neighbours. He added that there is an element of regional influence in the crisis and Nigeria needs to come up with as French policy to address this.
Dr Sulaiman said: “Firstly, the issue of terrorism is global, regional and sub-regional and secondly, the terrorism we have in Nigeria has internal and external dimensions to it.
Some of the terrorists are not just Nigerians who operate from across Nigerian borders with backing from neighbouring countries. “When you look at Nigeria’s history, we have been consistent in the kind of animosity we share with the Francophone West African countries, so Nigeria should revisit, for instance, its francophone policy.
We should look at the French policy on Nigeria and look at the position of France to Nigeria's security, so I think we need to go back to what had been the attitude of France and the French government to the Boko Haram issue in our effort to fight terrorism." Pointing out that Boko Haram is not just having its way because government is not working, he added that Nigeria is not getting enough support from the sub region. According to Dr Sulaiman, people should be mindful of the way they criticise President Goodluck Jonathan on the issue of terrorism, as Boko Haram is primarily a military matter. He added: "We should know that when it comes to fighting terrorism, counter-terrorism and warfare, presidents do not go to war. It’s the handiwork of the armed forces and the primary responsibility of the military.
"Let me say this, the Nigerian armed forces today is dominated by northerners and the Boko Haram spate is in the north, so if there is a problem there, we need look at our tactics and military operations and suspect some subversive tendencies in the armed forces. "Also, the inspector-general of police is from the north, the national security adviser is from the north and the chief of defence staff is from the north. So, why must anyone blame the president?" Meanwhile, in another development, fleeing terrorists managed to retrieve three truckloads of their dead members, following their defeat at Ashaka town in Gombe State when they were engaged by security operatives.
Boko Haram, who arrived in a large convoy of 30 vehicles, motorcycles and equipment, were on a mission to take control of Ashaka but the Nigerian military succeeded in repelling them.
Over 10 soldiers were said to have died in the battle, while those who were wounded are being treated in nearby military hospitals. According to local reports, the terrorists destroyed some military equipment before fleeing. - See more
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