Presidency Accuses Atiku Of Contributing To Insurgency In Northeast

Dr. Okupe, the Senior Special Assistant to

President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs

made the remark during the second day of

PUBLIC AFFAIRS FORUM, organised by his office

to enable Ministers give account of their

stewardship to members of civil society

organisations, professional groups and artisans.

Referring to a statement by Atiku at the

Northern stakeholders Forum in 2010 that

“those who make peaceful change impossible

will make violent change inevitable,” Okupe

said it was unfortunate that those who

desperately stoked the fire of insurgency are

now laying the blame on the shoulders of a

government that is working hard to put it out.

He described it as a mark of unpatriotism for

Atiku to talk down on the military, which he

hopes to lead if elected President of the Federal

Republic.

Okupe said the former Vice President was not

known to have taken any hard position on

terrorists and terrorism in the past and

shouldn’t expect to gain any political mileage

from the unfortunate killings and kidnappings in

some parts of the North by presenting himself

as being on the side of the victims of the

insurgency.

He advised the APC presidential aspirant to

learn from political leaders in other climes who

drop the toga of partisanship in moments of

national crisis by supporting their government

to raise the hope of citizens and defeat enemies

of civilization.

Okupe said that the President will not be

distracted by negative comments from Atiku

and a few others whose only concern is politics

rather than nation. Jonathan, he stressed, will

continue to work assiduously with security

chiefs and community stakeholders to restore

peace to Northern Nigeria in the shortest

possible time.