By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
A group loyal to the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, under the aegis of Turaki Vanguard, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the act of insults and deploy more energy on how to recover the lost territories already taken over by the terrorists.
A statement by the group national president, Oladimeji Fabiyi, yesterday in Abuja said unless the residents and people of the Northeast of Nigeria do not matter to the current government, it would continue to trade insult with people telling the government the right things to do.
Atiku had on Monday at a press conference lamented the terrible condition of the people his region, calling on international to co e to country assistance.
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to the statement by the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, in which he spoke disparagingly about former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
“President Jonathan’s SSA on Public Affairs maligned Atiku’s intentions for addressing a world press conference on Monday, 2nd November, during which he expressed concerns over the dire security situation in the northeast states of Nigeria and called on the international community’s support.
“At this critical stage in Nigeria’s history, trading insults is a waste of time rather we should deploy efforts on how to recover our lost territories; unless, of course, the people of the Northeast of Nigeria do not matter to the current government.”
According to the statement, Nigeria has so far lost a total of 16 local government areas to Boko Haram: nine in Borno, two in Yobe anfive in Adamawa states, with the total landmass occupied was the equivalent of three states of the federation.
“At a time like this, when Nigeria is not engaged in any international war, thousands of our people are internally displaced while thousands more are refugees in neighbouring countries. Even many top federal government officials can no longer return to their homes.”
“The group said Madagali, hometown of Governors Ngilari and Fintiri of Adamawa, has fallen to terrorists. “Gulak, the hometown of President Jonathan’s onetime political adviser has also been taken. Two former governors of Adamawa also come from this area – Boni Haruna and Saleh Michika. And particularly of interest is Mubi, which is the hometown of Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh. His palatial mansion in Vimtim village was crushed and reduced to rubble.”