Boko Haram: You’re wrong, Rep replies Maku

Chairman of House Committee on Poverty Alleviation, Goni Bukar Lawan,  has described the comment on  Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State by Information Minister, Labaran Maku,  as “unfortunate” saying that Maku was the most “ineligible” public office holder to take on the governor.
Lawan , who represents Gaidam-Yunusari- Bursari Federal Constituency of Yobe State, said  that for refusing to visit either Yobe or Maiduguri as the government’s chief spokesperson and as the Supervising Minister of Defence, Maku lacked the moral basis to carpet the governor, let alone make any informed commentary on Boko Haram activities in the North-East  region.
Maku, had during his handing  over to the substantive Minister of Defence, General Aliyu Gusau (rtd), described Shettima’s remark that Boko Haram had superior arms and were more motivated than the Nigerian Military as a “misfortune of indiscretion.”

Lawan, who spoke at the weekend  said:  “Labaran Maku is a chicken-hearted, lazy noise maker, who is completely ignorant of things he ought to know so much. The number one problem of Nigeria today is the Boko Haram crisis.
“The number one challenge of the Federal Government today is the Boko Haram crisis. The number one threat to President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid today is also the insecurity in the country caused by the Boko Haram. The number one threat to the northern Nigeria is Boko Haram. The number one Nigerian who should have availed himself with first-hand information about the crisis, so that he can speak from the position of knowledge and authority, is Labaran Maku as Minister of Information.
“But to the shocking disappointment of every reasonable Nigerian, Maku has never visited Borno or Yobe since this crisis began. He represents the north and speaks for the country, yet he neither visited as Information Minister nor did he visit as supervising Minister of Defence, who had all the security cover he could have wanted. In fact, even when President Jonathan visited Yobe and Borno with all the service chiefs and thunderous security details, Labaran Maku was so chicken hearted that he did not deem it fit to at least hide under the large entourage of the President, so he could interact with those on ground in Borno and Yobe to be better informed.
“Rather than visit to learn more to do his job, he stays somewhere like the ostrich that he is, and keeps making divisive noise that will only attract ill-will for the President and the Federal Government. As far as I am concerned, Labaran Maku is the least qualified to speak on the Boko Haram issue let alone attack Governor Kashim Shettima, who many good Nigerians admire and respect so much for his courageous handling of the situation in Borno, his empathy, his commitment and very good management of the crisis.”