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Buhari bows to pressure, to visit crisis affected states
Buhari
OBINNA EZUGWU
Following mounting criticisms over his inability to pay condolence visits to states affected by herdsmen and other crisis, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally decided to visit some of the affected states to do on-the-spot assessment of the situations.
The president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
He said Buhari would begin his journey with a trip to Taraba State on Monday, and subsequently visit Benue, Yobe, Zamfara and Rivers States.
He did not, however, say when the trips to four other states will take place.
“In view of recent terrorist attacks, criminal activities and communal clashes in some states leading to tragic loss of lives and kidnapping of 110 schoolgirls, President Muhammadu Buhari immediately tasked the Armed Forces and other security agencies to compile comprehensive reports on the various incidents,” the statement read.
“Having received and studied the Reports, the President has decided to undertake an on the spot assessment of the various occurrences and to meet and console the communities affected.
“From today, March 5, he will visit Taraba, and subsequently Benue, Yobe, Zamfara and Rivers States.
“President Buhari has been receiving daily briefings, and has been in constant touch with the Governors, and has been updated with situation reports.
“The President calls on all Nigerians especially those in the affected areas to cooperate fully with the security agencies to enable them curb the spate of crimes, bring those responsible to justice and prevent further occurrences.”
The announcement comes a day after the General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly and long time ally of President, Pastor Tunde Bakare lashed out at him over his trip to Kano to attend Governor Ibrahim Ganduje’s daughter, Fatima’s wedding to the son of Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, Mr. Idris Ajimobi on Saturday.
Bakare wondered why the president would go to make merry in Kano while 110 Nigerian girls are still missing.
“Forgive my ill-mannerism, but I could not comprehend why a governor will celebrate the wedding of his daughter, and another governor of his son, on the front pages of newspapers, flashing it before our eyes, when other peoples’ daughters are in captivity,” Bakare said.
“If any of them had lost a daughter in that captivity, would they celebrate that way? I know the Bible says rejoice with them that rejoice, but I do not know what the president of Nigeria was doing there.
“And somebody came to say, let me explain to you, it is Islamic tradition, before this time, about January, they had agreed, that he (Buhari) will be the one to give the bride away and (Bola) Tinubu will be the one to pay the dowry, and present the son, and they agreed long before now.
“I looked at him and said the president of Nigeria wanted to come to my daughter’s wedding, and I said to him, sir, don’t come. That is beneath your office. Face the work of the state and keep serving.
“And 22 governors showed up to mark register, when 110 daughters of citizens of your nation were captured by Boko Haram that you said you have already technically defeated?
“It just shows how insensitive our leaders are. We have gotten to a stage that our president has become a king and a monarch. That his son who rode his pleasurable bike that almost claimed his life, will be returning from an overseas trip, where he had received special healthcare that Nigerians cannot afford, that it took a whole minister of state to go and welcome him, because he has no job.”
Bakare who was speaking during church service on Sunday, said that the Buhari government had borrowed N11trillion within three years, and that Nigerians would weep if the knew the true situation of things in the country.
“If you truly know the truth, you will weep, if you know how much we are owing as a nation, you will weep. For 16 years of PDP they borrowed N6 trillion, for three years of APC, they borrowed N11 trillion.
“And they are not going to pay the debt. You and I, and our children, and our children’s children will pay the debt, unless they write them off again.”
The president has been facing mounting criticisms over his failure to visit states like Benue where Fulani herdsmen have continued to wreak havoc.
