By Idu Jude
As Nigerians grabble with the failure of the Federal Government to name and shame sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria, reactions from well-meaning Nigerians indicate that the body language of the President is not anywhere close to ending insurgency in Nigeria.

In a swift reaction to the surprising swift from the APC-led government, the Secretary-General of National council for political parties in Nigeria, NCPP, Chief Willie Ezugwu, told ThisNigeria that this is the worst anyone can get from an administration that is already known for poor execution of promises. He said that is coming when every Nigeria is waiting for a pronouncement by the Buhari administration and at least to make public the names of such unpatriotic individuals that have caused the country both human and material resources.

“Right now I’m at a loss about the whole thing. From all indications, we may not be able to know those who have contributed to ensuring that inflation and diseases engulfed this country.

You can take a look at the economy of this country and see how terrorism has destroyed it. With the loss of so many lives, soldiers as well as citizens. Inflation is another thing with farmers unable to go back to farm. This has made the price of food items skyrocketed. Children have been kidnapped and schools closed till only God knows when. Some communities have been wiped out with their inhabitants. Many farmlands where food is produced has been turned into battlegrounds and this is what we get from an administration that handles the situation with kids gloves”

Further in his reactions, the NCPP scribe observed but described the situation as an unfortunate one, saying. “ if an Arab country was able, to name sponsors of terrorists, then, Nigerians should have it that they are the sponsors of terrorism in this country and that is because our own country after promises has failed …”

“But they were so quick to prescribe the Indigenous people of Biafra IPOB who does not wield arms against the state as a terrorist organization but does the opposite to the Boko Haram and other foreigners who have been taken arms against the state of Nigeria”

He, however, has described President Mohammed Buhari as a failure, who has failed the entire Nigerians in all his promises. “let me tell you something. This single act of his appointees has shown that his government has some explanations to give to Nigerians as far as sponsorship of terrorists is concerned. And we have been waiting to know them and that would have been a scorecard to Buhari administration and possibly would bring those involved to justice and could end insurgency in Nigeria but as it is we can see it clear that they are not ready to end it soon”

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Also speaking to our correspondent, the lead Director, Center for Social Justice, Barrister Ezeh Onyekpere, stated that the best persons to give Nigerians due explanations are Mr. Lai Mohammed the Minister of Information and culture and his partner the Minister of Justice and Attorney general of the federal Abubakar Malami. He said that the duo are responsible for unreasonable information earlier credited to Mr. President as cabinet members.

“Those are the two people to bear the consequences for misleading Nigerians, so it does not make sense to ask people like me because, in the first place, it was the same people who have rabble roused on the possible date to name and shame sponsors of terrorist organizations. This recent statement by the same Attorney general of the federation is a contradiction of himself as well as his fellow cabinet members like Lai Mohammed. So it means that they are not ready to stop terrorism in Nigeria.”

Onyekpere, posited that this is one in a million misgivings of the Buhari-led administration. “ I can vividly recall the borrowing spree of the present administration, which has given Nigeria the title of the highest borrowing nation in the world. The Presidency just presented another request for Senate consideration and subsequent approval of a fresh external borrowing to the tune of $4.054 billion, Nigeria’s external loan stock is set to reach an all-time high of $45.2 billion.

The proposed addition to the debt stock indicates that external borrowings have skyrocketed the nation’s foreign debt portfolio by 366 percent since 2015 when the total outstanding foreign debt was $9.7 billion. And all these figures to me come without considerations to how and when these will be paid in their fullness or are we to remain perpetually indebted to foreign countries?

As Malami’s statement elicits reactions, the Attorney general, insists that suspects will eventually be made public, adding that “shaming remains a consequence of judicial conviction”.

“Naming and shaming of suspects are not embarked upon as a policy by the federal government out of sheer respect for the constitutional rights of Nigerians relating to presumption of innocence,” the statement reads.

“It is a product of constitutionalism and the law. It is rooted in the law and the names of the suspects will accordingly be made public at the point of judicial arraignment while the. Trials are judicial processes and not about media sensations.

“Naming and shaming in the Nigerian context must be rooted in constitutionalism. We must strike a balance between the constitutional presumption of innocence and evidential proof of reasonable ground for suspicion in making disclosures associated with terrorism funding and financing.

“Where reasonable grounds are established, suspects must be naturally taken to court at which point their identity must be disclosed and the naming becomes apparent. Shaming, on the other hand, is the product of conviction at which point the public is equally judicially put on notice.

“In essence, naming and shaming within the context of Nigerian law are judicial functions which commence with the arraignment and terminate with convictions