The Presidency has reacted to media reports that the President has failed to provide a crime-free society despite making such promise during his campaign for the 2015 general elections. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba while reacting to the report, said President Buhari at no time promised Nigerians an absolute crime-free Nigeria during his presidential campaign.
He made the clarification while reacting to growing criticism over the continued violent clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers across the country. Speaking when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he said;
"I think that nobody, no politician should try to deceive Nigerians by saying that there is a country without lawlessness. Even when he campaigned – the President, yes, committed to ridding the country of terror but he would never have said that this country would be 100 per cent without criminality,” he added.
He however assured that the President was working assiduously to ensure the safety of lives and properties. On the President's visit to Benue today he said;
“The programme, as it stands now, is as we had it in Taraba. There will be a meeting of stakeholders in the State House. The President will listen to all the parties in the conflict and thereafter, he will deliver his own homily and, of course, sympathies to the people over the unfortunate losses of persons and property.”
He debunked claims that the President's visit was politically motivated.
“I would have thought that if he had intended to inject politics into it, he would have been on the plane the morning after the incident. But he chose to act, rather than to talk and as you have seen yourself over this period of time, there was intervention by law enforcement, there was intervention by NEMA and aid agencies.”
