Governor Murtala Nyako

By Mathew  Onah

The Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako, at the weekend, accused corrupt
politicians and political opportunists of infiltrating, hijacking and criminalizing, the Islamic fundamentalists sect - Boko
Haram, in order to perpetuate violence and instability in the country as means of settling political scores with their perceived opponents.

He stated that the aim of the unscrupulous politicians, is to create an impression that there was a religious war in the country, and general instability, and thereby setting one section of the country against the other.

Nyako said the current insecurity could be traced to corrupt politicians using the sect members and dumping them after achieving their aims,

‘’The madness in the last one year or so must be stopped. We must all work assiduously to restore sanity back to the county

"We have century-long history of peaceful co-existence, never has the issue of one’s faith being questioned, we have existed as communities, inter-married, and lived together as one."

He observed that the Boko Haram fundamentalists' tendencies was not a new phenomenon in the Muslim part of the country and that it has always been accommodated and managed by Islamic religious leaders and blamed the current violent phase, on politicians and criminals who have hijacked the group.

Governor Nyako insisted that the current spate of violent attacks on centers of worship of both Christian and Muslim,had no religious meanings at all, "because all the religions hold dear the virtues of peaceful co-existence, and brotherly love."

"Both religions abhor violence in all ramifications," he stressed.

The governor lamented that the increasing security challenges across the country, especially the north-eastern part, was seriously retarding progress and development efforts.

He also noted that the image of the country in the international community, is being portrayed as if the country is in a state of perpetual crisis or war, thereby forcing foreign investors and development donor partners to stay away.

The Adamawa State Governor, who had
breaking fast with labour leaders and journalists, at the weekend, asserted that the general insecurity has forced up, the cost of doing business by over 300%, as foreign companies are demanding for securities for their human and financial investments.

Nyako stated that the country was committing enormous resources to the maintenance of security which otherwise ought to be devoted to development of infrastructures and called on journalists as nation builders, to rally round the federal and state governments in their
onerous efforts to check the situation by reporting security issues responsibly.