Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-Nigeria’s president, speaks about why it’s taking to long time for Nigerian Army to end Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East of the country.
Obasanjo said the reason is because the army, which he supposed had high ranking officers who are corrupt, was also not equipped to deal with militants.
Obasanjo said the reason is because the army, which he supposed had high ranking officers who are corrupt, was also not equipped to deal with militants.
Former president spoke about Boko Haram in a panel discussion on ‘Development and Security: Dealing with New Threats’ at the ongoing 2015 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Meanwhile, he expressed confidence that the incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari will deal with the Boko Haram fighters conclusively.
He was quick to add that Boko Haram will not be dealt with using the army alone but the administration also has to resolve the problems of underdevelopment and poverty ravaging most part of the Northern region.
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His words: “The military was not adequately equipped to deal with terrorism and there was corruption in the high ranks of the military. I believe Boko Haram will be dealt but it will not be dealt with only by military force because we have to deal with the big problems of underdevelopment and poverty. But if you don’t do that and you keep on hanging those problems, they will be suppressed for a while and it will be a matter of years, then you will begin to have Boko Haram in one form or the other rearing its ugly head again.”
Also speaking, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson, African Union, noted that there was an immediate need to address the issues of underdevelopment, unemployment and poverty across Africa.
Nkosazana pointed out that with the level of unemployment in the continent, it is fast becoming explosive.
She said: “Africa is full of young people. If we don’t invest in them, we’re sting on a time-bomb.”
The president-elect will be swearing-in to the office of Nigeria’s President tomorrow, May 29, 2015.
