The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed has said President Muhammadu Buhari will complete his tenure despite the calls for his resignation.
This is just as he disclosed that citizens in the north-east are no longer paying tax to Boko Haram.
Speaking at a meeting with the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigerian (NPAN) in Lagos on Thursday, December 3, Mohammed said the calls for the president’s resignation were political.
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But the minister’s claim contradicts recent reports which say residents of the north-east and some parts of north-west pay tax to insurgents and bandits to have access to their farms.
The farmers killed in Borno at the weekend reportedly refused to pay tax to the insurgents before their slaughter.
Mohammed said the insurgents are no longer having a field day because of the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Now, let’s put things in context. Before Mr. President assumed office, Boko Haram could stroll into any city, especially in the north, to carry out deadly attacks. Abuja, the nation’s capital, Kano, Maiduguri, Jos, Damaturu, etc were regularly targeted,” he said.
“Motor parks, churches, mosques, shopping complexes were not spared. Today, that is a thing of the past. Suicide bombers used to have a field day detonating their bombs and killing innocent people.
“Today, that is no longer the case. Detonating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used to be a deadly tactic of Boko Haram. Today, that has changed.
“Boko Haram used to occupy territory, deposing and installing Emirs and collecting taxes. That’s no longer the case. These changes are not mere happenstance. They are part of the successes recorded by the military, under this president.”
Mohammed said: “In the wake of the killing, there have been calls in some quarters for Mr. President to resign.
“Well, let me say here that this call amounts to playing dirty politics with the issue of security, and it is cheap and irresponsible. Mr. President was elected in 2015 for a four-year term and re-elected in 2019 for another four-year term.”
He insisted that no amount of clamour for resignation will stop the president from serving his term.
The minister said it amounts to needless distraction and cheap politicking to demand the president to step down anytime there is a setback in the war on terror. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to strengthen security agencies.
The advice was given by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) over the insurgency, banditry and kidnappings in the country. The elders said this will help avert wanton killings in the country.
