The letter written by Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State to his colleague northern governors as published in some major news media is an unmitigated leadership disaster and a sad betrayal of trust by a major beneficiary of the Nigerian Nation.

The content of the Governor’s letter unfortunately exposes him as lacking a sense of history as well as incapable of rising above parochial sentiments and possessing a morbid hatred for facts and truth in public discourse. It is extremely divisive and intentionally meant to incite one section of the country against the other.

Governor Nyako claims that President Goodluck Jonathan is from the Eastern region which according to him was responsible for the killing of Northern political elites on the 15th of January 1966! This is a very disgraceful remark by the governor and a pathetic embarrassment to the Nigerian Military from where Nyako derives his career antecedents. It is certainly a reflection of the Governor’s ignorance and unpatriotic inclinations.

Similarly, the Adamawa State Governor referred to the Boko Haram terrorist group as a “phantom organisation” which he believes does not exist! How hypocritical!?

In his unwise and desperate attempt to demonise the Federal Government, Governor Nyako likened the military operations against insurgents to the activities of German dictator, Adolf Hitler! In his befuddled mind and apparent hallucination, the Federal Government should be held responsible for the activities of insurgents in the North East and the sad killings, wanton destruction, murder and kidnapping of school children as well as other horrendous activities of Boko Haram should be hung on the neck of the Federal Government! He therefore invited his colleague northern governors to join him to sue the Federal Government. This definitely defies common sense and portrays Mr. Nyako as unfit for the hallowed position of a State Governor.

It is perhaps necessary to request the Adamawa Governor to publish his yearly budget for the past five years and disclose how much has been voted or spent to support the war on terror or assist victims of insurgents activities in his state.

The public will recall that only recently, the Governor was publicly attacked by a group of angry youths who accused him of nonchallance and failure to support victims of Boko Haram’s murderous onslaught on innocent citizens of the state.

We also wish to remind Nigerians that this same Governor Nyako was recently quoted as having boasted openly that now that the Fulani herdsman can assemble the AK47 gun, “the security equilibrium in the country is now balanced”. The same man was reported to have imported some Fulanis from outside the country and spent millions of naira in rehabilitating, feeding, housing and catering for their welfare.

We therefore urge Nigerians to ignore the senseless letter written by the Adamawa State Governor whose ignoble aim is to create disaffection among Nigerians, polarise the country along ethnic lines and unkindly disparage this administration which continues to work hard to fully eliminate insurgency and destroy their support base.

It is obvious that Governor Nyako’s opposition to the declaration of a State of Emergency in three affected states of the North East as well as his repeated calls for the withdrawal of the Military from troubled states without any credible alternative or security road map, is an open endorsement of the activities of the insurgents which is meant to provide them unrestricted opportunity to further unleash terror on innocent citizens in order to precipitate chaos, further instability, mayhem and anarchy; a situation which they intend to exploit to undermine the administration and truncate our growing democracy. This, Nigerians will surely not allow to happen.

The Federal Government assures Nigerians of its continuos determination to defeat terror and restore peace to every part of northern Nigeria so that every law abiding Nigerian citizen can go about with his/her socio economic pursuit without let or hindrance in all parts of the country.

•This piece, originally entitled “Governor Nyako’s Letter, Senseless and Unfortunate – Presidency”, was sent by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, in reply to Governor Nyako’s Memo which News Express published yesterday under the headline, “Full-Fledged Genocide now going on in ‘Northern Nigeria’ —Governor Nyako”. Photo shows Governor Murtala Nyako.

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