Buhari using these weapons against Boko Haram – Jonathan speaks out
28th Jan. 2016
Immediate past president Goodluck Jonathan has praised the government of Muhammadu Buhari.
Jonathan in an exclusive interview to France 24 says the incumbent government is fighting against Boko Haram insurgents with the weapons which were purchased under his administration.
The former president stated that the terrorism caught the country unexpectedly but his administration laid a solid foundation for insurgency to be defeated.
He said: “The new government is working hard and I believe they are still using the equipment we procured. Though the budget is still being debated, no new equipment has been bought, so even those equipment the president is using to prosecute the war against Boko Haram are those equipment we procured.
“When Boko Haram started in Nigeria, we had no terror experience. Yes we had armed robbery and other common crimes, but terrorism was different because the people involved were not afraid to die.
“So, you need a different mechanism to confront terrorism, you need superior technology, so that you will be able to stop them even before the attack. We never had the equipment, but when we were confronted, we started acquiring and before I left office we built reasonable capacity and I believe with what we left behind and also with what the new government will acquire, they will be able to prosecute this terror war to a reasonable conclusion.”
Jonathan also noted that the crisis rocking his party because of the loss of the 2015 poll. However, he showed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would soon recover its stability.
“The PDP definitely will have some minor issues, it is expected… We lost the presidency and definitely we will have some kind of leadership problems. When you have a president, everybody looks up to the president. But when you no longer have the president, it becomes difficult for the party to have strong leadership,” the ex-president added.
“I believe whatever you observe will be sorted out. Leaders of the party, elders of the party have been meeting and all this perceived disagreement will soon be sorted out.
“Every political party has misunderstanding, it is not new, it is always there. From the beginning of PDP, even before I got to Abuja as a vice-president and president, there were instances when the chairman of the party will be asked to step down. And some officers leave from time to time when there are issues. So what is happening is not new but I promise you that PDP will stabilize.
“In fact, by March this year, we are going in to elect officers at the lowest levels of the wards to the local government, to the states, to the zones then of course at the national officers will be elected; that is just in March. So the party will bounce back, whatever you are perceiving, it always happen and we will get over it.”
Watch the full interview below:
Jonathan was defeated in his bid for re-election in the 28 March poll by the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ex-president yesterday disclosed that he will speak on the controversy surrounding the appropriation of the funds meant for the procurement of arms under his government by the then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki at the right time.
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