A former military governor of Kaduna
State, Col. Abubakar Umar(retd.), on Tuesday, said that violent
disintegration of Nigeria would do no one any good.
He also said that the attack on Maj.Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), should not be blamed on the Federal
Government, as being done in some quarters.
Umar, while reacting to the bomb attacks
on the former Nigerian leader, appealed to the nation’s political elite
to desist from what he described as ‘politics of brinkmanship’ all
aimed at achieving their narrow political interests.
“Once again, I appeal to our political
elite to desist from politics of brinkmanship all aimed at achieving
their narrow political interests. They need not be reminded that a
violent disintegration of Nigeria would be an ill wind that will blow
nobody any good,” the former governor said in a statement on Tuesday in
Kaduna.
The former governor, while condemning
the attack on Buhari, argued that the Federal Government could not have
planned to assassinate the APC chief, when at the same time decided to
upgrade the security around him (Buhari).
According to him, it would have been so
strange for a government that want to assassinate a popular northerner,
like Buhari, “to retain as its National Security Adviser, Col. M.S.
Dasuki, son of the Sultan of Sokoto; and his brother-in –law, Gen. Aliyu
Gusau, as its Minister of Defence, or even its Inspector General of
Police, M.D. Abubakar, from Zamfara State.”
Umar said, “When on Wednesday, July 23,
2014, some yet to be identified persons attacked the convoy of Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari with a car bomb, some of his supporters or his
representatives, as one of them claimed on BBC radio Hausa Service,
accused the Federal Government of complicity. This was even before
investigations commenced.
“I was concerned and worried by possible
dangerous repercussions of such allegations on the peace and unity of
the country, which is currently under severe stress. I therefore decided
not only to condemn their actions, but also to adduce evidence to
counter their wrong and preposterous allegations.
“When about four months ago, Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari issued a condemnation of the activities of the Boko
Haram sect, the Presidency praised him for what it saw as an act of
courage and statesmanship.
“Some of us agreed and welcomed this
reaction particularly because it would have the positive effect of
building the much-needed consensus in the war against the Boko Haram
insurgency.
“We were also delighted by Gen. Buhari’s
action, because it provided another evidence, if any was needed, that
he was not a religious bigot. And like most northerners, he did not
share or support any terrorist religious ideology.
“However, in the fear of the usual Boko
Haram reprisal, we advised the Federal Government to beef up security
around the General. The Federal Government agreed and reached out to
General Buhari with this proposal. By mutual consent, his security was
upgraded. I have no doubt that this must have contributed to his
survival of the attack.
“The point then is how can a government
that is intent on assassinating the General provide him with added
security? It would have been most strange, indeed, for a government
planning to assassinate this very popular northern icon to retain as its
National Security Advisor, Col. M.S.Dasuki, son of the Sultan of
Sokoto, and his brother-in-law, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, as its Minister of
Defence. The case of the Inspector General of Police, M.D. Abubakar,
from Zamfara State, may not be different.”
Source Punchng
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