He said the insurgency was not peculiar to the North but a national crisis. He added that Nigeria would surmount the problem, just like several other countries that had faced similar challenges.
Sani said, "If you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, you are not only the Commander-in-Chief of a part of the country that is peaceful; you are the Commander-in-Chief of the whole country.
"There is no other time for a leader to prove his worth, value, excellence and mettle than a period of national crisis or emergency like this. Some great leaders were discovered during war time or crisis. It is then you will see of what value a leader is."
While speaking to our correspondent in an interview, Sani said contrary to reports, he was not a sympathiser of Boko Haram.
He said critics of the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls by the group equally had the responsibility to do what he was doing to secure their release.
The sect abducted pupils of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State in April 14.
Sani said many views shared by people on the insurgency and the abduction were wrong. According to him, the critics are far from the reality on ground in the affected areas.
He said, "How can I have sympathy for the sect? When the Americans sent their envoy to sit down and negotiate between the Irish and the British governments, it did not mean that they (Americans) had sympathy for the Ireland.
"That (accusation) has to do with intellectual deficiency and ignorance of people who are completely cut off from the knowledge of what is really happening in the international community."
Sani advised the Federal Government to weigh its options on Boko Haram critically to be able to defend the consequences of the actions to be taken.
He said it was better for government to be criticised for accepting to negotiate with the sect and be able to bring the Chibok girls back alive than to be blamed for any disaster that might come from applying force to rescue the girls.
"If you release 10 to 15 of the insurgents in detention, they cannot do worse damage than what we have suffered as a country for four years," Sani stated.
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Act as a commander-in-cheif? Let me ask one vital question, has anybody visualize 2015? Have you imagine the aftermath of Goodluck winning or loss of this election?( am not trying to be pessinistic here) with the militants(southerner) in support and Boko haram(northener) against?
ReplyDeleteFirstly, the country has been polarize into religious/ethnic divides(situations that had been "managed" since this "country" was almagamated) and people are trying to outwit each other, just to please the power that be, so Nigerians should expect something big(if not bigger) by 2015.
It will be advisable for these so-called negotiators, including this big-mouthed Shehu Sanni, to always weigh the import of their utterances. Is he in anyway equating the Irish freedom fighters to the Boko Haram insurgents? Whose interests are the Boko Haram people fighting for; Islam or the Northern Nigeria? If not that human life does not mean anything to these northerner, you are killing your own people in such large numbers and yet your so-called leaders are still undecided as to putting a stop to this madness. They still contribute money and other resources to support Boko Haram.
ReplyDeleteYou don't just open your mouth and say anything you like, simply because some people respect your comments.
you are making a request the north including you allowed such things to happen and we must be ashame to be pointing accusing fingers on other people than ourself
ReplyDeleteThis guy together with El-Rufai, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and other form the intellectual nucleus of Boko Haram. Buhari and other pols are the political arm.
ReplyDeleteHis comparison of Irish and British brouhaha was wrong. This is stupid and useless ideology. If I am be Jeg I can not listen to him
ReplyDeleteYou people talk as the if the President is superhuman. Firstly if he commands his service chiefs to go visit the place on his behalf,he can be said to have gone there. Moreover,it'll be dumd for anyone to ask Jonathan to go physically to these troubled states when it is known that the purpose of their insurgency has to do with Jonathan being there. Jonathan will not be so foolish as to putting himself in such danger and making the job eliminating him easy for your blood sucking friends. The first blame needs to go to the indigenes and the traditional rulers controlling these areas. The fight against BH should start from the indigenes of the troubled region. You guys should also stop comparing BH to some other groups of militants 'cos their objectives differ largely. BH wouldn't have lasted this long if their sympathizers in the north weren't enormous.
ReplyDelete