By Musa Umar Bologi Abuja
Defence headquarters said yesterday that contrary to some media reports, the US report on global terrorism was not intended to cause restiveness among Nigerians, but to draw attention of government to areas that could be improved upon. It said the US should be commended for its strategic global eff ort towards ensuring a more secured world, and advised the public to reject the negative reports, which it said was intended to “pitch the Nigerian Military negatively against the US”.
“Th e US reports on terrorism, which was for 2016, is submitted on annual basis in compliance with Title 22 of the United States Code, Section 2656f (the “Act”) by the Department of State to Congress, aimed at providing report on those countries and groups that meet the criteria of the Act”, said Defence spokesperson, Maj. Gen. John Enencge in a statement.
He added: “Th e report used to be published as ‘Patterns of Global Terrorism’ up till 2003, but was changed to the present title beginning from 2004. Th us, against the contrary picture given to Nigerians and the general public on the report in question, it did not cover only Nigeria but covered; Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Th at is, all the countries aff ected by Boko Haram Terrorists menace”.
He also dismissed the negative media that the military was unable to hold and rebuild civilian structures and institutions in liberated areas, saying that “rebuilding of civilian structures and institutions is not a military task. “It is purely the responsibility of government of which a lot is being done, and eff orts of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states are evident in this regard. “Equally, are the visible positive deliberate eff orts of Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI) under the ‘Buhari Plan’, which is akin to the Marshall Plan of Europe after the Second World War.?
