If President Buhari sack me today, it will not end Boko Haram- Buratai
Chief of army staff, Lieutenant general, Tukur Yusuf Buratai says
President Muhammadu Buhari should not be pushed into sacking his service
chiefs “because he knows where the problems are”.
There
have been calls by federal lawmakers and other Nigerians on the
president to sack the service chiefs following what appears to be the
resurgence of Boko Haram.
Buratai, speaking in a
special interview with TheCable and THISDAY/ARISE in Lagos on Tuesday,
said while not questioning the wisdom of the national assembly, the
solution is not the removal of service chiefs as Buhari “knows where it
pinches” and is the right arbiter.
“I am
tempted not to comment on this particular issue because I am directly
involved. However, I want to believe that whatever happens, the
commander-in-chief is the right arbiter, and he knows where it pinches,
he knows where the problems are. I think the decision should be left to
him. He should not be pushed or prompted in this regard,” he said.
Buratai
said “we are into a very serious issue which should not be taken
lightly”, adding: “This is why when you say a particular crop of leaders
in the military should be removed for whatever reason, it sounds very
odd because we are not addressing the issues. I am not saying this
because I am the chief of army staff and I do not want to leave. No,
that is not the issue. It is beyond that because this is a national
issue, an issue of national pride and national interest. Those who would
cry loudly against the service chiefs are within, and they are the ones
who should be more vocal in the things that are not going right.”
The
army chief also said contrary to the notion that Boko Haram started in
2009, the “brainwashing and indoctrination” started over 30 years ago,
thereby making it difficult to totally wipe out terrorism.
He
said the military has nonetheless won the war against insurgency as the
Boko Haram militants do not control any territory in Nigeria.





