House of Reps applauds President Jonathan and military for onslaught against Boko Haram

The House of Representatives on Tuesday gave kudos to President Goodluck Jonathan for the impetus he has given to the Nigerian Army that facilitated its re-taking of some towns that had fallen under the control of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, in some parts of the North-East, particularly Borno.

This is as the debate on a motion deploring as unconstitutional the deployment of military personnel for election purpose was deferred till this Wednesday.

Prompted by a motion of urgent national importance moved by Hon. Muhammad Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno) , the House also praised the military for its bravery and steadfastness, noting that in previous months, notably in Borno, Boko Haram had nearly over-run the state, but today the tide is turning against the insurgents as a result of the gallantry of the soldiers.

According to Monguno, prior to the new offensive the Islamist group had subdued some communities, hoisted their flags in the local government headquarters and subjected the people to despicable norms.

"Almost all the local government taken by Boko Haram have now been liberated, so the armed forces require some encouragement from us in the parliament," Monguno stated.

Arguing in the same vein, Hon. Abubakar Momoh (SDP, Edo), also commended the effort of the military in chasing out the insurgents. "We were aware that few months ago Boko Haram unleashed a reign of terror on many parts of the North-East. But today, this has been curtailed," Momoh said.

"We need to commend the military and the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), President Jonathan, who made it possible for the soldiers to operate effectively," he added.

Credit: Muhammad Bello/ThisDay