The Presidency has reacted to a memo written by Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state, accusing the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government of carrying out genocide in north eastern Nigeria, saying it is a betrayal of trust.
Governor Nyako, had in the memo sent to his colleagues in the Northern States Governors’ Forum, highlighted some of the atrocities allegedly being perpetrated by the military in the zone.
Reacting to the memo, which was leaked to the media, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, contended that Governor Nyako, lack a sense of history, saying writing the memo ‘is an unmitigated leadership disaster”.
But, Governor Nyako has swiftly replied, saying those running the government at the centre are arrogant and confused and challenged the Presidency to fault his claims.
Okupe, accused Nyako of attempting to incite a section of the country against the other, noting that the memo further exposed him as parochial.
“Governor Nyako claims that President Goodluck Jonathan is from the Eastern region which according to him was responsible for the killing of Northern political elites on the 15th of January 1966!
“This is a very disgraceful remark by the governor and a pathetic embarrassment to the Nigerian Military from where Nyako derives his career antecedents. It is certainly a reflection of the Governor’s ignorance and unpatriotic inclinations.
“Similarly, the Adamawa State governor referred to the Boko Haram terrorist group as a ‘phantom organization’ which he believes does not exist! How hypocritical!?
“In his unwise and desperate attempt to demonise the Federal Government, Governor Nyako likened the military operations against insurgents to the activities of German dictator, Adolf Hitler!
“In his befuddled mind and apparent hallucination, the Federal Government should be held responsible for the activities of insurgents in the North East and the sad killings, wanton destruction, murder and kidnapping of school children as well as other horrendous activities of Boko Haram should be hung on the neck of the Federal Government!
“He therefore invited his colleague northern governors to join him to sue the Federal Government. This definitely defies common sense and portrays Mr Nyako as unfit for the hallowed position of a State Governor,” the presidential aide said.
While calling on Nigerian s to disregard the memo, Okupe alos called on the governor to make available to the public, his state’s budget in the last five years and state how much has been spent to wage war against terror as well as assist the victims of terror attacks.
He stated further that, “It is obvious that Governor Nyako’s opposition to the declaration of a State of Emergency in three affected states of the North East as well as his repeated calls for the withdrawal of the Military from troubled states without any credible alternative or security road map, is an open endorsement of the activities of the insurgents which is meant to provide them unrestricted opportunity to further unleash terror on innocent citizens in order to precipitate chaos, further instability, mayhem and anarchy ; a situation which they intend to exploit to undermine the administration and truncate our growing democracy. This, Nigerians will surely not allow to happen.
“The Federal Government assures Nigerians of its continuous determination to defeat terror and restore peace to every part of northern Nigeria so that every law abiding Nigerian citizen can go about with his/her socio economic pursuit without let or hindrance in all parts of the country”.
In a statement issued by his Media aide, Ahmad Sajoh, Adamawa Governor insisted that the content of the memo is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, challenging the Federal Government to address the issue.
Sajoh states, “The response by the Presidency to Governor Nyako’s memo to Northern Governors has further proved that those running the Federal Government are arrogant and confused.
“They arrogate all knowledge and wisdom to themselves alone. We hold the statements we released as true and challenge those who claim to have a sense of history to cut-off the use of jaundiced semantics to address the issues raised in this and several other documents before it.
By telling black lies about the attack on Governor Nyako which was never investigated nor ascertained, the Presidency is providing further proof that it knows more than it is willing to admit in the whole saga.
“Feeding the public with untruth is becoming a new culture in Abuja. The statement on the supposed rescue of the abducted girls is enough to prove that. It is a pity that responsible and supposedly educated people could manufacture statements and attribute them to others just to create an escape route from their glaring failures.
None of the statements attributed to Governor Nyako by the Presidency were ever made by him. They were all manufactured for lack of a sound counter argument.
If indeed the Presidency is not complacent about the killings in the country how come the President went dancing a day after several citizens were killed in Abuja?
“If they claim that Nyako does not deserve to be Governor, are they fit to be where they are? When we say the Boko Haram phenomenon is phantom we are talking based on several testimonies by the President.
“At one point he said there are Boko Haram in his Government, at another point he said they are ghosts he cannot dialogue with ghosts, yet recently he admitted that the young poverty striken persons so far arrested cannot afford the guns they carry.
“And we say to them you have full command and control of the Armed Forces and Security outfits with all the Intelligence units, investigate their activities, expose their patrons, sponsors and strategic commanders and arrest them.
“We also challenge them to expose their sources of arms. We still repeat the earlier questions we raised. 1. How come the insurgents move about unchallenged at night in our states under so called emergency rule when we have a night time curfew in place? 2. How come the insurgents operate for many hours unchallenged when we have military units all over the place? 3. How come the insurgents move with a large convoy of vehicles through routes that have 24 hours military check points? 4. How come statements by the Presidency and other authorities in Abuja are always at variance with realities on ground at the theaters of conflict? We want answers not insults or empty rhetoric.
“On the issue of creating divisions among the people, no one does it better than a Presidency that urges its backers to direct its people to implicate innocent Northerners in Bombings they know nothing of, or one whose known official uses online sources to implicate someone it chooses to hate for no just cause.
“This Presidency also encourages some of its spokespersons to speak ill of certain persons and religion without a reprimand. This is the most divisive leadership in the history of this country and it also the most desperate to cling to power even at the cost of several lives of innocent citizens. “Unfortunately it is also the most inept, confused, greedy, corrupt and incompetent regime ever.
On the corruption mantra, while the Presidency is fond of asking Governors to account for allocations given, we challenge them to live by the same token, declare what you got and account for it. After all we now have proof that certain projects which are not executed have been announced as completed such as the Hong to Mubi road in our state which the Minister of Information announced its execution at their Bauchi Rally.
“Meanwhile, someone should help us ask the President under what Budget sub-head did he get the money he allegedly gave Governor Kwankwaso to bribe delegates to vote for him which was allegedly diverted.
“We think rather than vent their venom in insulting people, presidential spokespersons and media managers should do better by re-focusing the man to be more open minded and competent in grappling with the mirage of challenges facing the nation”.
