Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Tukur Buratai has defended President Muhammadu Buhari’s policies and efforts at ensuring that the nation enjoys peace and security.
The military chief made this known while speaking at the Osun State Government House in Osogbo during his visit to the state to commission a bailey bridge and hospital constructed by the Nigerian Army engineers in collaboration with the army headquarters department of civil-military affairs for Owu Kuta and Asamu communities in the state.
Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola had hosted Buratai on September 14 after the commissioning at Owu Kuta.
Buratai said some Nigerians, whom he described as enemies of the country, have wrong perceptions about the Buhari-led Federal Government and have been using the social media to spread this fake and unfounded projections.
He debunked the rumour that there might be famine in Nigeria owing to the security challenges in the North East and appealed to Nigerians to ensure they verify news before believing it.
Buratai was reacting to the goodwill message of Lt General Alani Akinrinade (rtd), a former chief of army staff and chief of defence staff, at the state government banquet hall.
In his message, Akinrinade commended Buratai for building a bridge at the Osun River that links Kuta, Ikoyi and Ede Communities of Osun State. He also appreciated Buratai for graciously complimenting the efforts of the state government who has given public health care priority in the development of the state.
He asked Buratai to look into some matters which he said are rampart on social media and that have throwing him into distress, of which he wanted Buratai to convey to Buhari.
One of the matters according to him “is the pervasive public perception/belief (which does not necessarily represent the true position of Mr President) that the President was an ‘ethnic bigot, an irredeemable religious fundamentalist that firmly subscribes and promotes the possibility of his ethnic Fulani to take over the country, which was the reason why he does not interfere in curbing the brigandage of the Fulani herdsmen.”
Furthermore, the elder statesman concluded that going by the perception or belief of the public, the president has performed woefully in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists and that he cannot rise to the occasion when it comes to reflecting the heterogeneous composition of the country in appointments to sensitive positions in his government.
He therefore called on the president to read the riot act against the perpetrators of this mischief.
Reacting, Buratai thanked Akinrinade for identifying the negative impacts of the social media in spreading falsehood in the country.
“I just left the North West where Exercise SAHEL SANITY is ongoing and many farmers have so far returned to their farms. Our troops are providing security to farmers and the bandits are being dealt with decisively. From all indications we are expecting a bumper harvest this year,” he said.
Buratai further informed that the Nigeria Army and other security agencies are doing everything possible to ensure that the terrorists and bandits are never allowed to cross over to the southern parts of the country.
