President Muhammadu Buhari has once again reiterated the resolve of his administration to persuade Boko Haram insurgents to accept peace. Speaking at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja when the FCT Christian Community paid him a Christmas homage, President Buhari said his administration will use government institutions to persuade the insurgents to allow peace to reign. LEADERSHIP recalls that on Thursday that President Buhari in an interview with the BBC, declared that Nigeria has “technically won the war” against Boko Haram. According to him, Boko Haram insurgents have been sent away from Yobe and Adamawa states and now remain a force in its heartland of Borno state. However, with the latest statement from the president, it seems the President is using the carrot and stick approach in the fight against the insurgents with this new window of opportunity for negotiations with the Boko Haram sect. His words: “On Boko Haram, this government is determined to make sure that we persuade them if they can be persuaded, we will use government institutions to persuade them to allow peace to reign. “We appreciate that security agencies are doing their best and it is showing, and we have to continue praying for them.” He stressed that there can be no development without security, adding that they have to continue to pray for the security agencies. President Buhari also recalled that from the analysis of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the campaign, the three biggest problems the party discovered are security, unemployment of youths which make up 65 per cent of the population and 65 per cent of them are unemployed. The other challenges, according to him are “bribery and corruption”. We are not too happy but we are happy that our analysis of the problems have not been challenged.” He maintained that as leaders, they have a weighty responsibility to ensure that infrastructure for the orphans are taken care of. “If we have 2million people IDPs and 70 per cent are women and children and some of them are orphans, they grew up not knowing their parents. “As leaders, we wake with the feeling for those children, the most important thing is that they must not be denied education; schools must be rebuilt. We also thank Danjuma and the G7 led by the U.S., they have been doing their best to help Nigeria to train our military “. He also expressed appreciation for the visit from the Christian leaders, adding that, “I am pleased that all the communities are well represented, I don’t know what kind of host I have as I don’t get to move around freely”. President Buhari appealed to Nigerians to come together and pull the country out of this problem. “Everybody in the world believes that Nigeria is a lucky country because of its natural resources. Our problem is how to organise ourselves and how to get the right leadership in place.”


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