Security challenges politically motivated - Akpabio

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has stated the worsening agitations and security challenges across the country are politically motivated to derail the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He however said sponsors of the crises will be shocked as the government remains focused and working towards solving the situation sooner than expected.

The former Akwa Ibom Governor spoke on Thursday at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) when he paid a courtesy visit on the Secretary of the party’s Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe in Abuja.

Akapbio, who was responding to questions from newsmen on the spate of insecurity, admitted the situation was becoming worrisome but the assured the government was up to the task, adding the “storm will soon be over.”

According to him: “The issues of insecurity for me has already assumed a very worrisome dimension, if you notice, it is not limited to one region, it is not a function of North East, it is not a function of South East, even in the South-South, even in my own local government.

“If you read every day what is happening Benue state and other State, we have never in the history of this nation witnessed where people in uniform are targeted for elimination. That will show you that we have infiltrators in our midst.

“The security of our neighbouring countries must also remain a priority because all these heavy arms entering into Nigeria when Libya failed when Mammah Gaddafi was taken out and people looted the arms.

“If you enter Chad or Niger Republic, just like you buy petrol in Nigeria by the roadside, you can pick up any arm you want. So, that has led to very heavy arms entering into the wrong hands.”

He added: “Most of the actions you see today are politically motivated, to try to derail the government but the government will be deterred. And there is nothing that lasts forever. You know that everything that goes up must come down. So the insecurity you are seeing today, you will not see it again.

“We also, in my view, I think most of the problems are politically motivated, so we must use our binoculars to be able to look to dictate the sponsors of the insecurity that we are witnessing in the country.

“What is happening now is not Nigeria, this is unNigeria. As far as I am concerned, right from when I was a kid in Federal Government College, we were taught the unity and oneness of this country.

“Many fought the civil war and died to keep this country together and handed over the country to us, as leaders today, we must do everything possible to make sure that Nigeria remains United.

“I believe in the oneness of Nigeria and I believe that I will bequeath a better Nigeria to my children and the future generations to come,” he noted.

Akpabio said he was in the party office to fraternise with Akpanudoedehe, who is a compatriot from his state and to strategise on how to deliver Akwa Ibom to the party come 2023.

He debunked reports of friction between him and his host, blaming it on peddlers of fake news.

“So, there has never been any time we had issues together, we have never quarrelled with one another, in fact, we have always cooperated with one another, if anything, he (Akpanudoedehe) will use his mouth to tell you how we use to dance Kokoma, holding hands together,” the Minister recalled.