Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday said Nigeria was capable of winning the current war against the Boko Haram sect.
He said the nation did not have to wait until all insurgents have been killed before it can claim victory over the terrorists.
Obasanjo spoke with State House correspondents shortly after leading a group of Columbians to visit President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said he and members of his delegation had earlier taken it upon themselves to visit Columbia to study how the country had been handling insurgency which has been with them for 50 years.
The former President said he decided to intimate Buhari on his findings which he said could assist in the current anti-terror war in the country.
He also said that he was at the Villa to report to the President on the progress being made in his intervention in the crisis in Guinea Bissau.
When asked specifically if the war could be won, Obasanjo said the country could emerge victorious since the Nigerian Civil War was won.
“Oh yes. If we won the Civil War, we can win this one. But like the Columbians said, we are not waiting until we kill off every insurgent to say we have won.
“I believe that once the military has the upper hand, other measures that have to be taken would be put in place.
“There would be measures of socio-economic development, education, employment. All that have to go into the process of eventually winning the war and saying, ‘here is Uhuru,’” the former President said.
When further asked if the war could be won within the three months deadline given the military by the President, Obasanjo said Buhari’s deadline was not cast in stone.
He said it was normal for the President to set a target for the military.
Obasanjo said, “The President must give a target. When you give somebody a target, you give him something to aspire to, giving him an objective. The target is not cast in stone.
“I believe that if you are talking of getting the upper hand, gradually, we are getting the upper hand.
“We are not there yet but we are getting close. And once we are getting the upper hand, we move on and do other things.”
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: editor@punchng.com
SOURCE -: http://ift.tt/1LrqPpi
0 comments:
Post a Comment