The Buhari administration has blamed late General Murtala Mohammed for the worsening state of insecurity in the country.
Since President Muhammadu Buhari took over power in 2015, insecurity, which is one of his major campaign promises, has worsening. Kidnappers, armed robbers, violent herdsmen, bandits and Boko Haram terrorists have been at large.
His government has blamed several individuals and groups, some of which includes, retired civil servants, internet, COVID-19, state governments, the Peoples Democratic Party, former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo.
General Mohammed who overthrew General Yakubu Gowon in 1975 but was assassinated the next year is now been blamed for insecurity bedeviling the nation.
Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the government traced the worsening situation to the late general who thwarted the free and compulsory school initiative of the Gowon junta.
“The fact is that in 1973, we were informed by the lead discussant and that the government of the day they had a retreat and said there must be a national pledge that what is that thing that we must do to ensure that we did not go through another civil war”, the minister said on Channels Television on Monday.
“The government of that day came out with a decision that what will prevent another civil war is to ensure that anybody born after January 1970 has free and compulsory primary education.
“Regrettably that administration was overthrown two years later and all the lofty ideas and all the preparations that were needed to ensure that every child of school age acquired free and compulsory education were jettisoned.
“And we are paying the price today because if you have 13.2 million children of school-age out of school that is the market which Boko Haram, bandits, IPOB and other militants, that is the market where they recruit people,” he said.
