President Muhammadu
Buhari during his last visit to Qatar has given the interview to Al
Jazeera.
The Nigerian president has been speaking about the challenges the
country is facing now, comprising the naira devaluation, the Boko Haram,
anti-corruption crusade, the Biafra issue.
Buhari is seeking support for his fight against corruption and to
promote much-needed investment in his country’s ailing economy.
Qatar is the actual president of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) and Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer.
The low oil prices have a destroying influence on the Nigerian economy,
which has long depended on the export of oil.
President Buhari said:
“We were unable to diversify our economy, hence we are much more
disadvantaged by the lower oil prices.”
He tells the journalist that he values the institution of OPEC and that
“Nigeria will make the necessary sacrifice to remain in OPEC.”
On naira devaluation, the Nigerian leader of the nation said he would
not reconsider his insistence on freezing the currency. President Buhari
said as Nigeria “virtually imports everything, from rice to
toothpicks”, it cannot afford to devalue its currency.
“If it is against our national interest, why can’t we go against the IMF
advice?” Buhari asks.
Two major Buhari’s promises during the election campaign last year were
to eradicate corruption and end the Boko Haram insurgency.
Speaking on the Boko Haram, the president restated that none of local
government areas has been occupied by the insurgents, adding that he
hasn’t failed against the insurgents.
However, the Boko Haram
remains active in many areas of Nigeria, seemingly able to strike at
will.
“I have not failed. When we came in Boko Haram was effectively in 14
local governments. Nigeria has 774 local governments. They hoist their
flags and they said they had a certain caliphate but today they no
longer to hold any local government.
They have reverted to improvised explosive devices blowing soft targets,
and that will be a kind of terrorism which will be difficult to
eliminate because it is technological, but they cannot hold any local
government again. They are using technology but they cannot carry out
organised attacks, overrun police post, attack military installations,
they cannot do that now,” the president stated.
President Buhari recalled that over two million lives were lost during
the Nigeria civil war between 1967 to 1970 on the demand of a Biafran
state.
“At least two millions Nigerians were killed in the Biafra war. And for
somebody to wake up may be they weren’t born. Looking for Biafra after
two millions people were killed, they are joking with the security and
Nigeria won’t tolerate Biafra,” he said.
Buhari said Nigeria has enlisted in the Saudi Arabia Islamic coalition
fighting terrorism, clarifying that such step would help the country
tackle extremism.
“We are part of the Islamic coalition because we have got terrorists in
Nigeria, which everybody knows and the terrorists claim to be Islamic,”
he said.
“So, if there is an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, we will be
part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism.
“Boko Haram has declared loyalty to ISIS and ISIS is based in Islamic
countries, and if there is a coalition to fight them why shouldn’t we be
part of it, particularly when those fighting the country claim to be
Muslims, although what they are doing is against Islam.”
When asked if non-Muslims would not feel that he is attempting to change
the religious identity of the country, Buhari said: “Why can’t those
Christians that complain fight terrorism in Nigeria or fight the
militants in the south? It’s Nigeria that matters, not the opinion of
the religious bigots.”
The declaration of the Independent Republic of Biafra in 1967 caused a
civil war that resulted in the death of millions and the re-annexation
of the republic to Nigeria in 1970.
The administration of President Buhari has always maintained that
Nigeria’s unity is a priority for the country and that while peaceful
pro-Biafran protests are welcome, demanding the separation of the
Biafran territories is against the constitution.
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