Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
November 27, 2017
November 27, 2017
The Chairman of African Independent Television (AIT), Chief Raymond
Dokpesi has said the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP); has
failed in the “planning and strategies” of fighting Boko Haram
insurgency that claimed many lives and property in Northeast.
Dokpesi attributed PDP’s failures to the concealment and distortions
of information on the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, Yobe and
Adamawa states.
He disclosed this at the weekend in Maiduguri, while addressing PDP
delegates from Borno state to attend the party’s national convention
in Abuja, slated for December 9, 2017.
He said the Government headed by former president Goodluck Jonathan,
was not forth coming with credible information that was required to
fight Boko Haram to the finish at that time.
His words: “The PDP lost the election in April 2015. The party is
concerned about the welfare and well-being of every Nigerian. I came
to Borno state and invested in highly equipped digital studio in
Maiduguri.
“The opposition party capitalized on the ‘quiet nature’ of former
president Jonathan at that time. The ruling All Progressive Congress
(APC) depicted the former president as being insensitive to the issues
affecting the people in the Northeast.
“But the people doubted that it was not safe to do so in the epicenter
of Boko Haram insurgency. We are human beings as the PDP government
has made some mistakes.
“I want to plead with you (delegates) to forgive us. There were
mistakes of strategy and planning. They were no mistakes of the mind.”
He said the PDP government at that time, headed by former president
Jonathan acted promptly as was required to fight Boko Haram to the
finish.
Dokpesi said that it takes two-three years to procure armaments and
equipment, as some of the new fighter jets and armaments are not
bought from the shelves to fight Boko Haram.
“We did not prepare for it and this is the mistake the party made in
2014,” he noted, stressing that all the armaments and fighter jets
employed today for counter-terrorism and insurgency in the Northeast,
were ordered by the opposition party and not the ruling All
Progressive Congress (APC).
He said the challenges of the opposition party in Borno state, were to
win the 2019 National Assembly and Gubernatorial elections in the
entire Northeast sub-region.
He urged the Borno delegates to the national convention to preach the
new gospel, as hunger and poverty in the land are high to be
acceptable in a democratically elected Government.
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps and host communities,
according to him, had been abandoned, raped and treated unjustly to
meet their basic needs of life.
On his aspirations for national PDP chairman, he said: “I’m here to
reconnect with our people, who have been subjected to ta lot of
tortures, mental, psychical and over the period of time stress that
are unimaginable.
“This will enable me saw the seeds and votes of the delegates from
Borno and Yobe states to the national convention of the PDP in Abuja
and overcome the challenges of rebuilding the insurgency affected
region.
“It also gives me the opportunity to interact first what the wishes of
the people are exactly; and what they expect from the PDP of that
government
failed in the “planning and strategies” of fighting Boko Haram
insurgency that claimed many lives and property in Northeast.
Dokpesi attributed PDP’s failures to the concealment and distortions
of information on the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, Yobe and
Adamawa states.
He disclosed this at the weekend in Maiduguri, while addressing PDP
delegates from Borno state to attend the party’s national convention
in Abuja, slated for December 9, 2017.
He said the Government headed by former president Goodluck Jonathan,
was not forth coming with credible information that was required to
fight Boko Haram to the finish at that time.
His words: “The PDP lost the election in April 2015. The party is
concerned about the welfare and well-being of every Nigerian. I came
to Borno state and invested in highly equipped digital studio in
Maiduguri.
“The opposition party capitalized on the ‘quiet nature’ of former
president Jonathan at that time. The ruling All Progressive Congress
(APC) depicted the former president as being insensitive to the issues
affecting the people in the Northeast.
“But the people doubted that it was not safe to do so in the epicenter
of Boko Haram insurgency. We are human beings as the PDP government
has made some mistakes.
“I want to plead with you (delegates) to forgive us. There were
mistakes of strategy and planning. They were no mistakes of the mind.”
He said the PDP government at that time, headed by former president
Jonathan acted promptly as was required to fight Boko Haram to the
finish.
Dokpesi said that it takes two-three years to procure armaments and
equipment, as some of the new fighter jets and armaments are not
bought from the shelves to fight Boko Haram.
“We did not prepare for it and this is the mistake the party made in
2014,” he noted, stressing that all the armaments and fighter jets
employed today for counter-terrorism and insurgency in the Northeast,
were ordered by the opposition party and not the ruling All
Progressive Congress (APC).
He said the challenges of the opposition party in Borno state, were to
win the 2019 National Assembly and Gubernatorial elections in the
entire Northeast sub-region.
He urged the Borno delegates to the national convention to preach the
new gospel, as hunger and poverty in the land are high to be
acceptable in a democratically elected Government.
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps and host communities,
according to him, had been abandoned, raped and treated unjustly to
meet their basic needs of life.
On his aspirations for national PDP chairman, he said: “I’m here to
reconnect with our people, who have been subjected to ta lot of
tortures, mental, psychical and over the period of time stress that
are unimaginable.
“This will enable me saw the seeds and votes of the delegates from
Borno and Yobe states to the national convention of the PDP in Abuja
and overcome the challenges of rebuilding the insurgency affected
region.
“It also gives me the opportunity to interact first what the wishes of
the people are exactly; and what they expect from the PDP of that
government
