Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed says the war against Boko Haram is not over.
He added that those criticizing the $1bn from the Excess Crude Account to fight the terror group, are uninformed.
Lai Mohammed said this on Tuesday in Lagos during a press conference.
“There has been an unnecessary, uninformed and highly-partisan criticism of the $1bn which was recently approved by the Nigeria Governors Forum for the military to tackle the security challenges facing the country, including Boko Haram, illegal oil bunkering, kidnapping and cattle rustling,” the minister said.
“I said unnecessary and uninformed because everyone knows the role the military is playing in helping to tackle the numerous security crises facing the states, let alone the war against Boko Haram.”
He added that, “The fact that Boko Haram has been largely degraded does not mean the war is over. As we have said times without number, asymmetric wars like the one against Boko Haram, do not end with an armistice.
“It is therefore curious that some of those who have criticised the $1bn approval have hinged their argument on the fact that Boko Haram has been degraded.
“Perhaps also, the critics do not know that fighting an asymmetric war is costlier than fighting a conventional war. In any case, wars, especially the war against terror, are never fought with budgetary provisions.”
