President Goodluck Jonathan has forwarded to the National Assembly, request for urgent approval of $1billion external loan to forcefully confront the Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
In the letter dated July 15, 2014, and read on the floor of the Senate by the Senate President, David Mark, yesterday, Jonathan explained that the external loan was urgently needed to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of the Armed Forces and security services to enable them confront the insurgents more forcefully.
The letter titled: "Tackling Ongoing Security Challenges: Need for Urgent Action", reads in part: "You are, no doubt, cognizant of the ongoing and serious security challenges which the nation is facing, as typified by the Boko Haram terrorist threat. This is an issue that we have discussed at various times.
"I would like to bring to your attention the urgent need to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of our Armed Forces and Security Services to enable them more forcefully confront this serious threat.
"For this reason, I seek the concurrence of the National Assembly for external borrowing of not more than $1billion including government to government arrangements for this upgrade…".
The National Assembly had in the N4.6trillion 2014 Budget provisions, appropriated N968.127billion for Defence on account of the Boko Haram insurgency.
The request may be considered today on account of its urgency because both chambers of the National Assembly may embark on their annual long recess today till the end of September this year.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the newly inaugurated Victims Support Fund Committee, General Theophilous Danjuma, a former minister of defence, yesterday tasked the president to take decisive action to end the insurgency, citing that they (Boko Haram) appear to be having upper hand in the fight.
Danjuma who was responding on behalf of other members of his Committee, further in a lighter mood, told President Jonathan that apart from carrying out the Committee's terms of reference, they would not go to Sambisa Forest except he (Jonathan) leads them as the Commander in Chief.
According to Gen. Danjuma, "One thing we will not do is to go to Sambisa forest. The Commander-In-Chief will lead and we will follow".
He, however, lamented the menace of the insurgents, saying the 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 its insurgency.
"The insurgents appear to be having an 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 we will do so diligently and transparently. But we must win this war Mr. President."
Danjuma's assurances of implementing the Committee's terms of reference is on the heels of Federal Government's assurance that the days of Boko Haram were numbered just as it vowed to bring to justice anyone who had been involved in terrorist acts against the country.
Jonathan, who spoke yesterday while inaugurating the Victims Support Fund Committee, declared that there shall be no hiding place all over the world for the members of Boko Haram.
Even as Jonathan admitted that the Federal Government owes Nigerians nothing but victory over terrorists and security challenges in the country, he appealed to citizens to support the nation's security agencies who are making great sacrifices to fight the insurgents.
Going down memory lane in his inauguration remarks, Jonathan said: "There is no human society that has been insulated from conflicts. But as a people created by God, we have managed to live within the realities of our challenges and have worked hard to strengthen the bond of our togetherness."
He noted that the nation's innocence was defiled on December 25, 2009, when a 23-year-old Nigerian, Umar Faruk Mutalab, attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, on his way from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, United States.
He lamented that "The year 2009 appears to be a tragic turning point. Boko Haram, an assemblage of heartless individuals, took it upon itself to bring evil upon our country.
"They have in their mission, turned women to widows and reduced children to orphans. They have killed and maimed and struck fear into law-abiding citizens.
"They have destroyed villages, attacked property and terminated people's livelihoods without a care in the world. They have engaged our security agencies in a meaningless warfare that has wasted unimaginable human and material resources.
"The reality today is that, we are confronted with individuals whose minds have been so twisted and tutored to believe they are doing God a service."
However, he declared that evil would never prevail over good, adding that insurgents are enemies of the humanity.
He stated that "The Victim Support Fund Committee is part of our on-going efforts to provide a comprehensive solution to the menace. This Government is determined to resolve this crisis.
"The menace of terrorism has emerged as one of the most complex and challenging problems confronting governments in different parts of the world.
"Terrorists aim to cause social dislocation, spread fear and panic among the populace and disrupt government activities. But they never win. They have not won in the Middle East, in the USA, in China, in Columbia, in Italy, in the United Kingdom, in Kenya, etc.
"And they will not win in Nigeria. And, with the support of all Nigerians, we would ensure they do not win in Nigeria. Good must prevail over evil.
"That is why we have put together eminent Nigerians led by the respected statesman and hero, General Yakubu Danjuma, (rtd) who will be assisted by Fola Adeola, a tested technocrat.
"They will be supported by public-spirited international agencies and other distinguished Nigerians whose names have been earlier announced. We will ensure that those who have suffered unjustly in the hands of terrorists can in our little way be consoled."
The president charged the committee to go out and knock on the doors of all hearts and institutions in a determined and focussed way of raising the resources required to help rebuild some of the broken existence.
He appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians and non-Nigerians, individuals and corporate bodies, to donate generously to the Fund.
Also speaking, the National Security Adviser to the President, Col. Sambo Dasuki gave assurance that action would soon be taken to win the war against the insurgents, taking into consideration the lives of the people.
"The only thing I will do is thank them for agreeing to serve and assure them that we will win the war. But they are some very hard choices that would have to be made.
"We have so been more concern about the lives of a few versus the condition of a few million. The decision has to be made soon. This is not the first time we have been challenged by very senior Nigerians about the need to end this.
"We had a situation the other day with former heads of state; they told the President the same thing. But the constraints we are aware of, we do realise that the time has come to draw a line.
The committee's terms of reference are as follows: "To identify sources and ways of raising sustainable funding to support victims of terror activities; to develop appropriate strategies for the fund raising.
"To ascertain the persons, communities, facilities and economic assets affected by terror activities; To assess and determine the appropriate support required in each case; to manage, disburse and/or administer support to the victims as appropriate;
"To address related challenges as may be appropriate, and to advise government on other matter(s) necessary or incidental to support victims of terror activities."
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