Despite the Boko Haram taking over several territory including about 16 local government areas in the North-East, during the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA) said the immediate past government deserved a feather in its hat for defeating the group.
Speaking from detention where he is being held for allegedly mismanaging an estimated $2.1 billion meant for purchase of arms to fight the dreaded Islamist sect, Dasuki said it was the actions of the Jonathan’s administration against Boko Haram that made the 2015 general election possible.
He stated this in a foreward he personally wrote to a 308-page book titled, ‘Boko Haram Media War – An Encounter with the Spymaster,’ authored by Yushau Shuaib, an award-winning public relations professional.
According to the former NSA, the 2015 general elections would not have taken place, especially in the volatile North-East if the government under which he served had not risen to the occasion to “defeat” Boko Haram.
“In fact, without our intervention in ensuring the defeat of Boko Haram, the electorate could not have had the opportunity to exercise their franchise,” Dasuki wrote in the forward.
“It is a fact that we provided peace and stability that afforded Nigerians, especially in the North-East in voting for their governors, legislators and others in the 2015 elections.
“In the warfront are evident success stories which Shuaib has mentioned in some of the articles that featured in this book, especially on media relations, self-censorship, gallantry in recovering dozens of cities and towns among other declassified revelations,” he said.
Dasuki did not, however, elaborate on how the former ragtag militants were able to mobilise and defeat several military formations before taking over the territories while he was NSA. It was also during his tenure that the terror group kidnapped about 270 teenage girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State. Eighty-two of them have since been released due to the efforts of the current administration, although scores still remain with the insurgents.
According to the Federal Government, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), allowing the insurgents to defeat the poorly equipped and poorly motivated soldiers, allegedly shared funds meant to equip soldiers amongst various politicians.
The Muhammadu Buhari government that eventually won the 2015 election is currently prosecuting the NSA alongside several others who took part in the alleged scandal, now termed Dasukigate.
The government has also refused to release him on bail despite several court orders.
Source:Sun
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Politics