The Federal Government on Wednesday kicked against ??irresponsible statements? by some highly placed Nigerians, saying it was an attempt to instigate citizens against government over ongoing fight against terror groups in the country.
Briefing State House correspondents in Abuja after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said the nation was in need of unity not divisive tendencies.
Maku, who specifically frowned at recent comments by Gov. Murtala Nyako on the security challenges facing the country, said such statements should not have come from a retired military officer and a serving state governor, who was aware of the implications of such on the nation?s security.
“Each time the security people strike a target, there is a lot of public uproar and propaganda which is weakening our national resolve to fight terror.
“This nation deserves security at this time even in the heat of it, you hear some irresponsible comment coming from highly placed people including a governor.
“Now, this nation is in need of unity but we are playing to the gallery by making irresponsible statements.
“We are making statements that will divide the country, statement that is setting the citizen against security services and government.
“If only Nigerians understand that as we seat in this hall, our security people are out there in the bush day and night and getting killed in the course of maintaining the security of this country.
“But what we see is that people who have little knowledge ?on how security services are rendered will just open their mouth and make statements that create panic in the country and this is very unfortunate.
“To hear the kind of things being said by the governor of Adamawa state? at this period is very unfortunate.
Nyako is the former Chief of Naval Staff. He has worn uniform before, to publicly incite the people against the security forces of this country is the height of irresponsibility.??
He said when people reached a certain age, they should watch their utterances and the kind of things they are supposed to say.
Maku, however, reassured that the nation would definitely defeat terror and urged the citizens to always be security conscious and maintain vigilance around their localities.
“One thing we must not allow is to create lack of morale to the security services because we don’t have alternative today to those services.
“And I know that our security services are one of the best services on this continent with a lot of commitment and discipline??, he said.
