Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has been advised to stop demoralising the Nigerian Army with his constant condemnation but rather encourage them to boost their morale to tackle the intractable insurgency in the North East.
The Olowu of Owu Kuta, Oba Hammed Oyelude, made the admonition in a statement he issued on Friday in Ibadan.
It would be recalled that Zulum recently visited Maiduguri-Damaturu road, Borno State, where Boko Haram insurgents struck and abducted 35 travellers
The governor, while inspecting the level of destruction perpetrated by the Boko Haram at the scene of the attack, expressed shock and annoyance on how such magnitude of attack was being perpetrated under the watch of the soldiers and police special squads deployed to protect the highway, saying the army has failed to do their assigned jobs.
According to Zulum, `Surprisingly we have a Commander with his team in Jakana; we also have a commanding officer with his battalion in Auno; both teams cover a distance of only 20 kilometres, and they have failed to protect the commuters. The Nigeria Army has failed us; they have failed in discharging their role of protecting the commuters,” the Governor was quoted.
Reacting to that statement, the monarch urged the governor to be less frontally in his attack of the military as they needed all the encouragement and support to battle those insurgents to submission.
“I am disappointed in Governor Zulum for his constant attacks of the Nigeria Army at every opportunity he has over the activities of the vicious Boko Haram insurgents in Borno.
“He should stop demoralising the soldiers but rather encourage and boost their morale. I have no doubt in my mind that our military will survive any form of blackmail from any quarter,” Oba Oyelude stated.
The Olowu noted that instead of blaming the military over the spike in the level of insecurity leading to more people being killed in the State, the governor should encourage a symbiotic effort to tackle the menace.
