Buhari’s comments on Emir’s attack reckless – Presidency

Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)

The Presidency, on Tuesday, described the comments made by a former Head of State and National Leader of the Congress for Progressive Change, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Saturday’s attack on the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, as “reckless”.

Describing Buhari’s comments also as “opportunistic”, the Presidency warned politicians, especially members of the opposition, not to use the attack to make cheap political statements.

It also noted that the comments by Buhari and that of the Nigeria Labour Congress were “irresponsible”.

Buhari, in a statement by the CPC National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, had condemned the attack, saying, “The country was not just under an ominous cloud of insecurity but that its citizens were also victims”.

Reacting to the comments, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said, “The statement by Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, his party, the CPC, is unfortunate, reckless and opportunistic”.

Okupe added, “Any attempt to politicise this unfortunate attack on the revered Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, and members of his family is irresponsible.

“Though, the attack itself is regrettable, it is difficult at present to blame it on the Boko Haram or terrorism or in fact, on some criminal elements within the society that hid under the spate of insecurity in the state to perpetuate this heinous crime”.

On the NLC remarks, Okupe said the union ought to be non-partisan and should see things with nationalistic view.

He said, “We are not impressed by similar stance by the NLC that is supposed to be non-partisan in nature and in all approaches.

“There is indeed absolutely no need to politicise this unfortunate attack on the revered emir.”

The Presidential aide however said the Police and other security agencies were working to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the attack.

Noting that crime was inevitable in any country, Okupe said when crime happens in the United States, none of its citizens blames President Barak Obama for the attack.

He added, “At that moment in the United States, no American citizen or group blamed the killings on the President or the government, in spite of avalanche of security apparatus and expertise available to the United States Government.”

He said what any responsible government would do was to ensure that the perpetuators of these heinous crimes were apprehended, arrested and prosecuted according to the laws of the land.

Calling for the pooling of resources and information, Okupe urged the citizenry to support government and the security agencies to ensure the arrest of the criminal elements.