17,000 dead in 3 yrs: Withheld security funds behind killings, Atiku alleges
By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that the withholding of appropriated security funds is directly responsible for the deaths of over 17,000 Nigerians since the advent of the President Bola Tinubu administration, citing revelations by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as vindication of long-standing opposition concerns.
In a statement by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said Senator Monguno’s intervention exposed the dangerous consequences of the Tinubu administration’s fiscal mismanagement and helped explain, in part, why insecurity continues to consume lives across the country.
He noted that since the Tinubu administration assumed office, independent conflict monitors have estimated that well over 17,000 Nigerians have lost their lives in violent attacks, while thousands more have been abducted by terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements. “These are not mere statistics. They are fathers, mothers, children, farmers, students and breadwinners whose lives have been cut short. Behind every number is a family condemned to a lifetime of grief,” he said.
“For months, the APC dismissed every concern raised by the opposition about budget implementation, security funding and fiscal opacity as politics. Today, one of its own ranking senators has asked the very questions Nigerians have been asking”, he said.
He said Senator Monguno did not merely question budget implementation but questioned why duly enacted budgets are allegedly not being faithfully implemented, why trillions of naira generated by the Federation are reportedly being retained instead of being distributed in accordance with the Constitution, and why critical security agencies have reportedly not received capital releases despite the worsening security crisis confronting the nation.
“These are not allegations from the opposition. They are grave constitutional questions raised by a distinguished senator of the ruling party,” he said.
Atiku added that if security agencies are denied the funds appropriated by law to procure equipment, strengthen intelligence, improve logistics and support operations, the government cannot escape responsibility for the consequences.
The former Vice President said it was ironic that President Tinubu, who built much of his political identity on criticising former President Goodluck Jonathan over insecurity, now presides over what many describe as a “Sidon look” presidency, content to issue condolences after every massacre instead of preventing the next one.
Atiku, who bears the traditional title of Zege Mule U Tiv II, said the philosophy behind the title stands opposed to such indifference. “A Zege Mule does not watch from a distance while his people are under attack. He becomes their shield. He stands between them and danger. He provides refuge in moments of fear,” he said.
The former Vice President said an ADC administration under his leadership would fundamentally reform Nigeria’s security architecture, promising to ensure that every naira appropriated for national security is released promptly and accounted for; restore intelligence-led policing; deploy modern surveillance technology; strengthen border security; improve inter-agency coordination; fully equip and motivate security personnel; and establish an effective community-based early warning system to stop attacks before they happen.
“Nigeria does not need a president who merely mourns the dead after every massacre. Nigeria needs a president who protects the living,” he said.
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