Failed Ceasefire Not Jonathan's Fault - Okupe

monjola sotubo

November 4, 2014 2:49 PM

This was stated by the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe on Tuesday, November 4 in Abuja.

According to the Presidency, the recently announced ceasefire agreement between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram was instituted at the instance of the sect and the fact that it failed is not the government's fault.

This was stated by the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe on Tuesday, November 4 in Abuja.

Dr. Okupe said this while speaking on the achievements and impact of the Jonathan administration.

He also stated that President Jonathan couldn’t be blamed for the insurgency in the country because his government was total unprepared for it.

He said:

“Somebody wants us to believe that the only testimony of performance of this administration is insecurity. (But) that’s not true. This government was totally unprepared for the insurgency. Nobody planned for insurgency. And yet insurgency is a serious problem on its own to contain. America, with all its power and resources, was in Iraq for up to about five or six years with over 400,000 soldiers put on ground and yet see Iraq the way it is today.”

He also spoke on the purported ceasefire reached with Boko Haram:

“Yes, a ceasefire was announced and it was at the instance of the insurgents. What the President has demonstrated today is that he said that all options are on the table. So, when the insurgents call for talk, how can anybody blame the government for that? If it doesn’t work out, that is not the fault of the government. That is actually the nature of the insurgents. Because they are factionalised, their line of command is not clearly defined.”

“So, this government’s capability and performance cannot solely be represented on the outcome of the insurgency in Nigeria. There is agriculture, education, infrastructure, health, social development and many other component parts.”

Okupe also added that the Nigerians should shift their focus from the Federal Government and start demanding the dividends of democracy from their respective state and local governments.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Lagos state has criticized the Jonathan administration describing its transformation agenda as a “failure.”

monjola sotubo

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