$1bn insurgency fund: B’Haram defeated but winning peace is critical, says APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hit back at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for accusing it of attempting to “fritter away our national savings” through the $1 billion approved for the Boko Haram war.

State governors had last week agreed to take out the sum from the excess crude account for the fight against insurgency.

Subsequently, the PDP had criticised the move and accused the APC of misleading Nigerians that Boko Haram was defeated.

Reacting in a statement on Monday, Bolaji Abdullahi, the national publicity secretary of the APC, said the PDP’s allegation that the $1bn was meant for the 2019 election is baseless.

“We can understand why it is easy for the PDP to arrive at its ludicrous allegation. A similar approval in excess of $2bn was granted to the PDP government when they were in power,” he said.

“They knew what they did with the money. It is a classic case of a serial killer who sees even a table knife as a murder weapon.

“The PDP presided over a government that made it possible for money meant for weapons to be diverted into paying marabouts and all manner of political jobbers ahead of the 2015 elections.

“Therefore, the PDP thinks the same thing is about to happen. They have not realised that it is a new day and President Muhammadu Buhari will not play politics with money meant to protect the lives of innocent Nigerians or allow anyone to engage in such brigandage that Nigerians suffered under the PDP.”

The APC said although Boko Haram is technically defeated, “more weapons and training” are required for the military to win the peace.

“Winning the peace remains a critical phase of warfare. The PDP does not understand that winning the peace is as important as winning the war,” Abdullahi said.

“There is therefore no contradiction in saying that Boko Haram is technically defeated and saying that more weapons and training are needed for our military and the military of neighbouring countries whose cooperation is necessary to finally rid our countries of the menace of Boko Haram.”