The leaders vowed to resist any attempt by the Presidency to use the Boko Haram onslaught to blackmail them instead of taking proactive measures to nib the insurgence in the bud.
The grouse of the northern leaders was that whereas the President had earlier claimed that he could not offer amnesty to Boko Haram members as they were ghosts, he went ahead to call on Northern elders to enjoin Boko Haram to stop bombings in the country.
A member of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Junaid Mohammed and National President of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, who spoke separately to Vanguard described the action of the government as a deliberate attempt to blackmail and provoke the north.
It will be recalled that during a visit to Borno State last month, Jonathan had rejected calls for amnesty to Boko Haram members, saying that he could not be dealing with those he described as ‘’ghosts”.
Last week, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, issued a statement, calling on the Northern elders to prevail on the sect to down tools and accept dialogue as the Niger Delta militants did before the late Yar ‘Ádua offered them pardon.
Okupe said: “There is no need for over-politicization of the demand for amnesty, or to blackmail the President for taking strong, patriotic views that are contrary to those of some of our respected elders.
“The true expectation is that our respected leaders will go back to the drawing board and increase consultation and networking with the aim of reaching out to the leadership of the insurgents and convincing them to do the needful and step out to be counted.”
Amnesty for Boko Haram members
Mohammed, a second Republic politician and leader of the ACF vilified the President for refusing to grant amnesty to the sect members, saying that what was good for one part of the country was also good for the other.
Mohammed noted that the President had failed to use his position as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to find an answer to rising insecurity that has led to the killing of innocent men, women and children in the north despite the avalanche of security apparatus and intelligence at his disposal.
The ACF leader, Yerima Shettima, on the other hand, told Vanguard that the north took serious exception to the attempt by the Presidency to associate its leaders with the Boko Haram sect.
Shettima noted, “We don’t control Boko Haram and have no way of knowing what they are doing and what they want. It is the President who once declared that there were Boko Haram members even in his government.
“Having made that public declaration before the world, it is baffling why the President has found it difficult to deal with such members in his government but has continued to make contradictory statements almost on a daily basis, trying to rope in northern elders”.
“We therefore, plead with the President to leave northern elders out of the Boko Haram issues and devise realistic ways of solving the problem of insurgency in the country, one of them being, the carrot and stick approach, so as to give peace a chance to reign in the land.
….Hold Northern leaders responsible for crisis, by Arewa youths
As security problems in the north escalate, youths in the region, yesterday, expressed disappointment with the political leaders from the area, whom they accused of not showing enough interest in tackling the challenges to pave way for peace and development.
The National President of the Arewa Youth Forum, AYF, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu, who made the feeling of the youths known while speaking with Vanguard, noted that most of the leaders of the region were more interested in pursuing their personal goals than working for the overall welfare of the people.
Gujungu said: “We are disappointed that since the upheavals in the region started and is slowly crippling the economy of the region, those that are said to be representing the region have not deemed it necessary to meet and find a lasting solution to the impasse.
“As youths from the north we are not only disappointed but we also feel let down by those that we toiled for to occupy the exalted positions they are now enjoying today. We are worried that instead of working for the good of the people, these leaders are busy pursuing personal agenda to the detriment of all.
“It is in view of this that we call on leaders of the north at different levels, governors, senators, ministers, lawmakers at the state and national levels, commissioners and even those at the local government level to join hands with the Vice President Namadi Sambo, who is the political leader of the north and tackle the problems in the region.
“We use this opportunity to call on these leaders to put their personal ambition behind them and work for the good of the north as the youths and other well-meaning individuals are watching what is happening and will take necessary action when the time is right”.
“AYF wants to call on persons like the Katsina State Governor Shehu Shema that Arewa Youths are disappointed that instead of staying in Katsina to attend to the needs of the people; the governor is now more prominent in Abuja and Niger Delta.
“AYF is calling on those in the league of the Katsina Governor to have a rethink as after all is said and done, power resides with the people and no matter what the supposed godfathers think, the Nigerian people will one day decide their own fate.
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fools God will destroy all of u
ReplyDeleteDrowning Men, is not an insult to call a madman mad,or call a goat,a goat. The fire they have ignite will burn them (the northern leader's) and their families just very soon.
ReplyDeleteThey say they are born to rule,, the innocent souls that are crying out for justice to GOD will have their justice,and will deprive the north from the number one office till 2024 before we will start considering them again.
d northern leaders calling for amnesty for Boko Haram are the sponsors of this faceless group. Buhari and co vowed to make nigeria ungovernable for Pres. Jonathan, this is the outcome of that statement. Buhari n co should be arrested and charged with treason as well as all northern leaders calling for the amnesty for interrogation
ReplyDeleteYou don't want to condemn the killings nor proffer solutions. But interested in not being blackmailed? You said what is good for one part of the country is also good for another part? That is when amnesty is the "good"? What about when the "good" concerns ruling the Country? Will you still hold the same viem? The President did not say he will not grant amnesty to Boko Haran but that they should identify them selves or provide their representative for negotiations. How do you discuss with somebody whom you are not seeing? Leave politics, and do the right thing for posterity sake.
ReplyDeleteGod will expose u all (Boko haram) sponsor
ReplyDeleteInstead of puting their heads together and providing lasting solutions to this menace impeding the progress of nt jst d north but the Nation as a whole this weak leaders are busy according blames on each other..Only God can help this nation Nigerian..I jst wish Dis Boko Haram Guys will leave innocent pple and face our leaders instead.*sigh*
ReplyDeleteYou can still be talking ,do you expect mr President to leave the seat of power for your state...what your past leaders sowed is what you are reaping through indoctrination ,failure to provide Education and others
ReplyDeleteWith the resources at your disposal what are you doing,why Gov Fashola did not Wait for Fed.Govt before using the security operatives to search the hide out of these terrorists ?.
There are those who need to seek psychiatric help in Nigeria because it is either they are mentally unstable or they are mischievous.I do not understand why there should be so much of an argument over this BH issue . If the Northern leaders are truly Nigeria minded , wont they, in some way help Oga GEJ to solve the BH problem , they are not doing that because they just may be the brain and resources behind it .
ReplyDeleteIt is rather unfortunate that many of us have not been able to look this problem in the face and make ALL the politicall leaders accept responsibility. The so-called leaders of northern Nigeria are in the same party with the leaders of southern Nigeria and they all teamed up to cause this problem we are experiencing today - you dear co-commentators should not be deceived!!!! It was all for political gains for themselves and their parties!
ReplyDeleteFlashback electioneering campaigns of 1998/1999 (with ALL parties in the north guilty of the same failed promise) : number one campaign promise was that Shariah Law will be put in place and enforced in the northern states. We all know what happened at the end of the day: ''Political Sharia'' was introduced after the elections were won MAINLY due to the Sharia Law implementation promise. This was to the total consternation of the voters.
Now is it not an irony that one of the key demands of Boko Haram is the enforcement of Sharia Law in the northern states? Is it not also ironic that Sharia Law encourages Islamic education which is different from Western education, which is seen by Boko Haram as a taboo? Is it so surprising that the Boko Haram insurgents stay in the same environment with the people and they are not being pointed out?I leave the rest for you to discern.
The truth is that this monster has been created by the nigerian political class (there is nothing like northern leaders here - there was and there still is NO northern political party) as the benefit of that robbery that led to the Boko Haram menace was enjoyed by ALL the political parties who stole from the people!!! ALL must accept responsibility and sit together to profer a solution. The solution is straight forward but can ONLY be implemented by the sincere.
Make una shine una eye!!!
The so-called Northern elite may decide to bury their heads in the sand as regards Boko Haram. AYF President, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu, can't be fooled---His warning should be seriously heeded by those who are hell-bent on pursuing their political agendas to the detriment of those they supposedly serve. A word is enough for the wise!
ReplyDelete