American civil rights leader and Baptist
minister, Rev. Jesse Jackson, has thrown his weight behind the decision
of President Goodluck Jonathan to offer amnesty to members of the
Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
Jackson, a two-time United States of
American presidential candidate, also said Nigeria “is divided, not so
much by religion, region and tribe but by greed.”
Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on
Friday, Jackson, who was a guest speaker at a lecture organised by the
state government as part of activities marking the 2013 edition of Isaac
Boro memorial anniversary, said if properly handled, the amnesty
programme would tackle insecurity in the country.
For the programme to work, he said all its terms and conditions must be honoured.
According to him, the amnesty must
involve economic restitution and rebuilding of mosques and churches
destroyed by the terrorists. He described such rehabilitation as a
goodwill that would sustain coexistence in the country.
He said the state of emergency declared
in three northern states should be as temporary as possible, advising
Nigerians to abandon the battlefield and return to negotiation.
He said, “The amnesty must involve
economic restitution, jobs and training. Within the United States,when
there was civil unrest,there was a kind of state of emergency.
“But I hope the country will soon get
back away from the battlefield and get to the negotiation table. In the
end, it will be the bargaining table, not the battlefield, that wins
victory.You cannot battle forever.
“You can bargain and resolve the
conflict in the North. That is why l believe so much in non-violence.
Non-violence does not mean fear, but courage and thinking, and it means
the ability to figure it out and fight it out. You must have the ability
to resolve conflict, and not fight aggressively. It must not resort
into killing and being killed.”
Jackson insisted that greed had torn the
country apart, saying the disunity in Nigeria should not be blamed so
much on region, religion or tribe.
“In Nigeria, too few have too much; too
many have too little,” he said, adding that great nations “are measured
not by how much they have but by how much they share.”
He noted that God had blessed Nigeria
with intelligent, ambitious and industrious people, in addition to
fertile soil, oil, fish and farmland. However, he said Nigeria should
strive to give peace a chance, saying justice was key to peace.
“Peace does not equal quietness or the
absence of noise. Often the oppressed are quiet, intimidated; their
pains are suppressed but their predicament does not suppress their
aspiration. Their thirst for justice and oneness must be quenched,” he
said.
Jackson further regretted the economic
irony in Nigeria, saying, “It is not right for a people to starve on a
farm full of fertile soil, fruits and vegetables.”
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He should focus on his country. Why did they not grant Osama amnesty?
ReplyDeleteJesse jackson,my question is this! Do USA govt negotiate with terrorist? USA govt do they pay terrorist organizations? If yes,the recent event that took place in USA, why did the police go door to door looking for the two boys? Why has your govt not paid the terrorist that has been attacking their country? The truth is this evil is evil. If the govt pay boko haram members other state will find a way to seek their own payment. The Niger delta payment,what difference has it made. Kidnapping is still going on,we read they even have training centers, innocent lives have been taken. If we pay them,what about the victims. Please,call a spade a spade.
ReplyDeleteDear Sir Jesse Jackson,
ReplyDeleteYou need to understand the issues first before suggesting solutions and expressing support for amnesty for a terrorist group with no ideology or cause,besides America and Nigeria are two different places...
It will be nice if you let us sort out our problems without any interference.In other words, you may continue your humanitarian work in other countries excluding Nigeria.