Buhari Diverts Boko Haram Money To Prosecute Opponents? You Need To Read This!

7 years ago

Buhari Diverts Boko Haram Money To Prosecute Opponents? You Need To Read This!

London Telegraph backing Boko Haram terrorism – Presidency Speaks

…..Says Boko Haram, not government to blame for IDP camps

The Presidency on Monday accused the London Telegraph of strengthening Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, faulted the 30th August and 12 April publication of the newspaper on the Boko Haram insurgency and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

According to him, the reports were false.

The statement reads:-

“The London Telegraph’s article ‘Children Face Death by Starvation in Northern Nigeria’ (30th July) repeats a claim from an earlier piece ‘Nigeria Using UK Aid to Persecute President’s Political Foes’ (12th April) – that Nigeria is diverting UK aid monies away from defeating the Islamist terror group Boko Haram towards those the newspaper identifies as political opponents of the Administration. This is as incorrect as it is unhelpful.

“These claims in both articles are attributed to an unnamed ‘source’ in the United States, and ‘Western officials’. Yet when the first article was published it drew the condemnation of the US Embassy in Abuja as having drawn conclusions directly opposite to the position of the US government.”

Against the claims by the report, the statement pointed out that the UK government did not give development aid to the Nigerian administration for use in military operations against Boko Haram.

It noted that where British military support such as intelligence is provided, it is precisely and only given for operations directly against Boko Haram.

The Nigerian Government, the statement said, is in no position to divert aid monies used for emergency relief for refugees or IDP camps to any other purpose as they are dispensed directly by DFID, USAID, the United Nations, the International Red Cross, Doctors without Borders and many other organizations.

It said:-

“The humanitarian situation in these camps is real. The Administration remains deeply concerned about the medical, health and nutrition challenges and we are doing everything with the limited resources we have at our disposal to improve the situation.

“However, the blame for the plight of refugees lies with Boko Haram. They are its cause, not the Nigerian Government.

“In the light of ongoing efforts, we regret the recent attack on the UN humanitarian convoy in the Northeastern region and are encouraged by the world body’s determination to continue rendering assistance to the displaced victims.

“That the attack was repelled by Nigerian troops escorting the convoy shows precisely how the Government and humanitarian agencies are working together.” It added.

The Presidency also said that the claims accusing the Buhari Administration of targeting Christians and the opposition were without foundation.

Since assuming office, the statement said that President Buhari has treated all Nigerians without bias for ethnicity or religion as the composition of his cabinet and the policies and programmes of his Administration have demonstrated.

It said:-

“To suggest his government as deepening Muslim-Christian division is not only untrue, but plays into the hands of Boko Haram who wish to divide Nigerians along religious lines. Fighting this group is key priority of President Buhari’s Administration.

“Indeed the international community has widely acknowledged his determination to defeat terrorism in Nigeria and the entire Lake Chad Basin.

“There is nothing to gain by attempting to mould public opinion against these facts. Therefore we invite The Telegraph to visit Nigeria: to witness first hand not only the challenges we face, but the Administration’s determination to confront them,” It stated.