Founder of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance and former Vice President of the World Bank, Dr Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of cuddling terrorists when it has the opportunity to finish them off.
The co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls, an advocacy group formed over 11 years ago to campaign for the release of more than 200 girls abducted from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, condemned, via her X handle, government officials’ encounters with bandits without taking decisive action.
She said, “It is accurate to state that our federal and state governments, led at this time by @NGRPresident @officialABAT, are, by their appeasement strategy, enabling terrorists by rewarding their criminal behaviour.”
The two-time minister was speaking following the latest abduction and release of pupils and their teachers from St Mary’s Private Catholic School in Niger State.
According to her, a capable Nigerian state of the past would never cuddle terrorists, adding: “All who persist in harming and killing our country and people, especially our children, would have long been finished off by a caring and competent government, as the @NigeriaGov has a constitutional duty to protect and secure the lives of citizens.
“This constitutional duty means that our children must have safe schools to attend and excel in, never to be subjected to terrorist abductions, killings and other harms.”
She said the fact that successive administrations and presidents had woefully neglected their constitutional obligations since terrorism began in earnest in 2009 could not be contested by any reasonable person.
“Our past and present governments, in escalating degrees, have basically failed to decisively and effectively tackle terrorists who take up arms against Nigerians and our country.