Finally! President Goodluck Jonathan Visit Maiduguri

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday paid an unexpected visit to Maiduguri, Borno State, one of the three North-Eastern states worst hit by Boko Haram insurgency.

Jonathan embarked on the trip shortly after laying a wreath at the National Arcade, Abuja in commemoration of the   Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

There had been clamour for him to visit the   zone since April 14 2014 when over 200 schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok by the Bokoharam sect.

Critics also chided the President   for continuing his presidential campaign without visiting or not making a direct comment on the January 3 killings in Baga and Doron Baga in Borno State by Boko Haram.

Amnesty International had said on Monday   that reports it got from the locals showed that over 2,000 people were killed and their houses razed. But the Defence Headquarters in Abuja denounced the international human rights agency’s claim, saying about 150 people died in the attacks.

Before the Thursday visit which came barely a week ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential rally scheduled to hold in Maiduguri on January 24, the United States denounced the latest Borno killings as “an enormously horrendous slaughter of innocent people.”

At the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army at the Maimalari Cantonment where he met with the officers and menl currently in the front line of the war against terrorism, Jonathan thanked them for their patriotic service to the nation.

He assured them that the nation would soon see the end of the Boko Haram insurgents as the military were now better equipped to take them on.

The President said that   the briefing from the service chiefs showed that the 10 local governments   in the state under Boko Haram control would soon be recaptured.

“Let me assure you that we will soon take over all the areas. From the briefing I have received from the service chiefs, I assure you that we will take over the towns and communities, “ he added.

Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, later issued   a statement in which he quoted the President as telling the soldiers that the nation was proud   of them   for their   commitment to the defence of the civilian population against terrorists.

Describing the troops as a special breed of men,   the   President assured them that all necessary action was being taken to address challenges facing them in their operations against Boko Haram.

“In terms of equipment and logistics, we have already made considerable progress since the insurgency started and we will continue to improve in that regard until your operations are successfully concluded,” he   told the soldiers.
Abati said   that Jonathan also toured wards of the 7 Division Hospital and Medical Services Centre where he met with soldiers recovering from injuries sustained in operations against Boko Haram and wished them a speedy recovery.

Before leaving Maiduguri, Jonathan was also said to have visited over 900 displaced persons from Baga at the Maiduguri camp.

Abati said the President sympathised with the displaced persons over their losses   during the attack on them   by Boko Haram.

According to him, Jonathan promised them that the Federal Government would strive to make their stay in the camps more comfortable while it continues to do all within its powers to restore peace and security to enable them to return to their homes soon.

The statement by Abati quoted Jonathan as also saying, “Terrorism and insurgency have been very traumatic for all of us. I feel particularly disturbed when I hear of our people being displaced within their own country.

“I assure you and other displaced persons that government is working very hard to ensure that you do not remain in these camps for too long.

“I know that many of your houses have been destroyed. We will assist you financially so that you can rebuild your homes and return to them gradually,” the President told the displaced persons.

The President also   thanked the Red Cross and other international organisations for assisting in the provision of relief materials to the displaced persons.

He   charged local, state and Federal Government officials to work in unity in rendering support to the displaced persons.

“I do not want to be hearing conflicting reports on support being given to them. Government is one and we must all work together to assist our people whenever the need arises.

“We must cooperate maximally and work together at the local government, state and federal levels to ensure that our people who are unfortunately displaced from their homes get the best possible treatment,” Jonathan said.

The Chief of Army Staff , Lt Gen Kenneth Minimah, said the President’s visit was significant since January 15 is the day set aside for remembering fallen heroes.

Also on the   Presidential entourage were the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Muhammad Sani-Sidi.

Credits: PUNCH