Presidency blasts Northern Elders over ultimatum on Boko Haram

The Federal Government has lambasted the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) for the September ultimatum given to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The group had demanded that President Jonathan rescue the over 200 Chibok school girls and end the Boko Haram insurgency before September or forfeit his 2015 re-election bid.
However, in a statement on Tuesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Dr. Doyin Okupe, retorted that the President did not require such threat or ultimatum to be alive to his responsibilities.
AT-M Ad
“The issue of insurgency, especially those ideologically based on Islamic extremism is a global phenomenon and requires tact, military capability, serious de-radicalisation techniques and community based counter insurgency programmes to ensure success”. Okupe stated.
The presidential aide said the administration was doing everything possible to ensure that the girls are rescued alive, adding that the various measures adopted by the government would soon yield positive result.
He added that, “We are improving on our operational capabilities and efficiencies by acquiring more advanced weapons and technologies for our military and security agencies.

“We have drafted more military personnel to the region to strengthen the fighting power of our armed forces.
AT-M Ad
“We are taking advantage of the offers from our international military and intelligence allies to assist in identifying key locations.
“We are working with our neighbours to secure the borders and limit the movements of the Boko Haram fighters, building on the agreements reached at the recent summits in Paris and London.
“We are deploying more resources to maximize operational efficiency, acquire more advanced and relevant weaponry and boost the general morale of our combatants. This is why the government recently requested for an additional funding of $1billion.
“And the last piece in the puzzle is targeting the domestic and international funding, and stopping the money flows into the coffers of the terrorists.
“With all these efforts and the support of our allies, these steps will help fight the threat of the Boko haram and move us closer to bringing the girls back safely”