I Did Not Say Buhari’s Administration Worsened Insurgency — Ekweremadu

DEPUTY Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu explained yesterday
that contrary to report, he never said that President Muhammadu
Buhari's administration has worsened Boko Haram insurgency in the
country.

He however warned that challenges like terrorism and insurgency, which
have wasted lives and property of innocent Nigerians and many of our
loved ones are beyond politics and should therefore not be trivalised
on the alter of narrow political interest.

Senator Ekweremadu
In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Uche Anichukwu and
titled, "The Challenge of Insurgency is beyond Partisanship," he said,
"The attention of the Office of the Deputy President of the Senate has
been drawn to the attempt to misrepresent and sensationalise an
innocuous call by Senator Ike Ekweremadu to Nigerians to pray for and
rally round the Federal Government to win the war against insurgency.

"Specifically, the Deputy President of the Senate was reported by two
national dailies as stating that the President Muhammadu Buhari
Administration has worsened insurgency.

"Whereas Senator Ekweremadu expressed concerns over the resurgence of
Boko Haram attacks in parts of the country, at no time did he try to
blame it on the present administration. It is instead on record that
he not only commended the efforts of the present administration,
especially in building international support and synergy to tackle the
monstrous group, but he also called for greater inter-party,
intergovernmental, and international collaboration to address the
problem.

"It is instructive that his patriotic comments were well captured by
many electronic and print media. They include: "Boko Haram: Ekweremadu
Seeks Support for Buhari" (Leadership, Friday, July 10, 2015) and
"Boko Haram: US Pledges Deepened Support for Nigeria… Ekweremadu
rallies Support for Buhari" (New Telegraph, Friday, July 10, 2015).

"The fact that out of the 75-man Senate Press Corps, representing
various media houses, which were present at the function, only one
medium sensationally skewed its statement out of context, while a
second medium copied the same story without a byline (name of
reporter), tells the whole story of a devious intent.
—Vanguard