B’Haram gaining the upper hand, says Danjuma

former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.)

A former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), on Wednesday told President Goodluck Jonathan that the Boko Haram Islamic sect appeared to be having the upper hand in the ongoing terror war in the country.

He said more should be urgently done for the war to be won quickly.

Danjuma spoke at the inauguration of the Victims Support Fund by President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The committee is saddled with the responsibilities of identifying sources and ways of raising sustainable funding to support victims of terror activities; and to develop appropriate strategies for the fund raising.

Jonathan, who highlighted the challenges being faced by the country as a result of the activities of the violent sect, expressed his government’s determination to help bind the wounds and apply soothing balm to the pains of innocent victims.

He said his government would give them the milk of human kindness, to let them know that this world is not just about evil people.

He charged the committee to go to all parts of the country, including the Sambisa Forest, and knock on the doors of all hearts and institutions in a determined and focused way.

Despite the assurances, Danjuma however told the President that the insurgents appeared to be having the upper hand at the moment.

He said the war must be won immediately.

He also told the President that he and the committee members would not visit the Sambisa Forest unless he (Jonathan) was ready to lead.

Danjuma said, “Mr. President, one thing we will not do is to go to Sambisa Forest. The Commander-in-Chief will lead and we will follow the Commander-in-Chief.

“But seriously, this war must be brought to an end. We must win this war immediately. It is taking too long. I called it civil war when it began, people say it is insurgency.

“The insurgents appear to be having the upper hand at this very moment.

“They pick and choose where to strike, they are even holding positions and displacing us. We must win this war Mr. President, we must do so immediately.

“We will raise the funds, we will disburse it. I promise you that we will do so diligently and transparent but we must win this war Mr. President. May God bless our country.”

The National Security Adviser Col. Dasuki Sambo (retd.), said there were some hard choices that would be made in government’s efforts aimed at ending insurgency.

He said Danjuma was not the first senior Nigerian that would challenge the government on the insurgency, saying some former Heads of State had told the President the same thing.