- Says it’s a critical step not end of war
OPPOSITION party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari over the clearing of Sambisa forest of Boko Haram terrorists and “for his dogged pursuit of the war against insurgency.”
It had also congratulated the Nigerian military for what it saw as a critical milestone in the fight against terrorism.
A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye in Abuja on Sunday also congratulated Nigerians for the feat “in the long and bitter struggle against the forces of evil that have wreaked so much suffering and hardship on our people in the last few years.”
The party said it was happy that Buhari had built on the efforts of his predecessors, noting that “whatever we are witnessing now is as a result of all the efforts and sacrifices of the past and present.”
The party added: “Nigerians and the international community will recall that the war effort received a major boost in the weeks leading up to the 2015 general elections.
“The insurgents were virtually annihilated – a feat that made it possible for elections to hold peacefully in almost all the Local Government Areas of all the states in the North East last year.
“We are therefore very much delighted with the continuation of this great effort by the President.”
The former ruling party led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi praised the armed forces for their courage, determination and sacrifice which made this achievement possible, adding: “The men and women of the Nigerian armed forces have served and will continue to serve with distinction in many peace keeping operations all over the world. We salute them for fighting with great courage to keep the peace in their own country.”
It also thanked the international community for their support and
encouragement particularly, those countries that have helped in the procurement of critical military hardware.
PDP declared: “The clearing of the Sambisa forest is a critical milestone but not the end of the war against insurgency. The Government and the military
must not rest on their oars. The hot pursuit of the terrorists must
continue unabated and relentlessly until the entire North East is rid completely of them.
“Beyond Sambisa all the other forests which criminals used as hideouts and bases must equally be cleared by the military. Forests such as Birnin Gwari, Zamfara, Southern Kaduna, Enugu and Benue have become killing fields. They must all be cleared of criminal elements.”
In the spirit of the Yuletide, the party urged all Nigerians to extend goodwill to one another.
“More than ever before, all hands must be on deck to ensure the peace and unity of our dear country without which we can never hope to meet our developmental aspirations,” the statement said.
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