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Online commenters mock Lai Mohammed over claim world powers deny Nigeria weapons
BY OUR EDITOR
Commenters were in their ugly best, mocking and poo-poohing at a statement by Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that world powers were denying the country weapons to fight insecurity.
The minister had appealed to the world powers Thursday, through an interview originally published by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and reproduced by The Punch, not to be weighed by unsubstantiated arguments to deny the country vital platforms and weapons to fight insecurity.
“I want to use this opportunity to say that the international community can help us better than they are doing right now.
“To fight terrorists, we need platforms and weapons.
“When the international community is weighed by unsubstantiated arguments to deny the country of vital platforms and weapons to fight insecurity, you cannot turn round to accuse the country of not fighting terrorism,” he said.
The minister buttressed his claim, saying: “Certain world powers have refused to even sell to us certain vital weapons.”
“For more than two to three years now, we have paid for certain vital weapons that they have not released to us and they even refused to give us spare parts.
“I think our appeal to them is that they should please help Nigeria to provide us with these sensitive platforms so that we can fight insecurity more effectively.”
Mohammed said for Nigerians to fairly assess the efforts of the federal government in the fight against insecurity, they should compare where the country was pre-2015 and today.
But almost all the commenters on the story published by The Punch expressed very little or no sympathy to the minister’s passionate appeal.
In fact, some of them berated the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over Mohammed’s comment, reminding it of certain position the All Progressives Congress (APC) government had taken on the same issue when it was in opposition, during Goodluck Jonathan’s era.
“LAI MUHAMMED and his boss BUHARI, should stop fooling themselves by hiding under the pretence of been denied this and that by some powerful people somewhere in Europe or America! All that our soldiers want are good-working rifles, good communication system, regular payment, dependable supply of food and water at war fronts and effective transport vehicles! Everything i mentioned above does not depend on some SUPER- people somewhere off-shore! Infact, we have a very big PUBLIC / GOVERNMENT GUN-MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY in KADUNA! I did my NYSC in KADUNA! I Knew the place,” wrote one Ajayi olupono.
We reproduce some of the comments below:
“This is karma. You remember when you used Obama and David Cameron to deny GEJ from ammunition to fight boko haram? it just simple do unto others what you want them to do to you.”
Bayo:
“The same issues that Jonathan faced and they called him clueless! I hope you understand the way the cookie crumbles now.”
“GEJ even went rogue and got weapons on the black market with foreign fighters to push boko haram back in 2014. They should do the same
From day one he codedly revealed to Nigerians that boko haram members were actively involved in his cabinet. I guess that part of the cabinet is now in power so they will never admit it. Even Mailaifa didn’t need to tell Nigerians that ‘a northern gov is boko General’ we know that ofcos. The govt locked him up for this statement yet it is General knowledge.
“This war is compromised from the start both locally and internationally.”
“It’s great to see him squirm like a squirrel knowing what false information the APC peddled to the international community which resulted in them refusing to sell weapons to GEJ’s government.
Karma is indeed a bitch!”
Ekwuoma Int. Media Engineering
“Jonathan never thought that Boko Haram was real; he never thought that Chibok girls were kidnapped. So, Jonathan could not have fought Boko Haram which he thought was a scam to derail him. The fact is that Buhari and Jonathan are the same in Naira and kobo. They are high on incapacitation and excuse-giving while short on performance. Like Buhari like Jonathan; both are clueless and have pathology to sleep on duty while hangers-on call the shots.”
Joe:
“No sane person will immediately believe that 278 young women from school could be packed over night to no trace. It looks impossible, but with the connivance of gov Shetima, APC and Obama it happened. WAEC said those girls should move to maiduguri to take their exams, but Shetima said he can provide adequate security, but when his boko haram boys came there was no single police. Remember all the girls are christian girls. Shetima is now a senator…”
“The stones thrown into the lake prior to 2015 (in order to win the election) is still rippling long after the aims have been achieved.
“Propaganda comes with a price…”
“They deny us weapons because a country that has been campaigning to become permanent member of the UN security council should not depend on others to arm them.
Nigeria should by now be able to manufacture everything we need but somehow, we have refused to become responsible members of the civilized world, instead wasting our lives on frivolities of culture and religion, SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”