MORE dust is being raised over fundamentalist sect Boko Haram’s talks offer to end insurgency and killings.
The nomination of Gen. Mohammed Buhari, among others, to moderate the sect’s talks, was yesterday rejected by his party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
The Anglican Church of Nigeria, also yesterday, joined Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President Ayo Oritsejafor to fault the talks proposal.
To Primate Nicholas Okoh, it is all a journey to nowhere. It will not be effective, he said.
In President Goodluck Jonathan’s view, which was expressed also yesterday, the Boko Haram sect and its sponsors are primitive.
Dr. Jonathan, who spoke in Dutse, Jigawa State, noted that taking people’s lives, especially innocent ones, through terrorism is itself primitive; hence, perpetrators and sponsors of the sect are uncivilised.
He urged Nigerians to totally condemn terrorism, killings by the group are unjustifiable. Besides, the President said, Nigerians should assist the authorities to check the trend which he described as inimical to development.
The President praised the people of Jigawa State for maintaining peace, despite the violence within the Northeast geo-political zone.
Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu cautioned the government against talking with a “faceless group”.
Aliyu, who is Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), spoke in Minna, the state capital, when he received ‘’The Road map for Peace Unity and Development of Northern Nigeria’’, prepared by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).
Aliyu said: “We should know who we are talking to; we should not allow 419 people to hijack the process.
‘’We should confirm who we are dealing with; we should talk to them but we should talk only to genuine people.”
The CPC advised Gen. Buhari to reject his nomination by the Boko Haram sect as a mediator in proposed negotiations.
National Chairman Tony Momoh gave the advice in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Gen. Buhari contested the 2011 election on the party’s ticket.
“There is no need for any other person to attend a meeting between the Federal Government and Boko Haram for whatever grievances they say they have.
“We in the CPC do not see where Buhari comes in; we are concerned by the way the name of Gen. Buhari is being dragged into this affair,” Momoh said, adding:
“Another thing is that nobody reached out to Gen. Buhari to say they have been nominated or is being nominated along with others, to mediate or be witnesses to discussion between Boko Haram and the Federal Government.”
Momoh said Buhari had not told anybody or the party that he was interested in the nomination. Besides, he said the CPC would not associate with issues that involved criminality.
He said what was important was for the government to maintain “true democracy” by providing adequate security and welfare to the citizens.
“We believe in one country, which must remain together and move together in the direction of peace, justice and fair play,” Momoh said.
According to him, the abuse of the democratic system is the result of some challenges confronting the country.
“Any abuse of this democracy is unjust,” he said, adding:
“We have chosen a two-legged approach: democracy and social justice; and we want to achieve social justice by using a system of government called democracy.
“All hands must be on deck’’ to tackle corruption,” he said.
The Archbishop, Metropolitan Primate Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Most Revd Okoh, described the Boko Haram sect as a “faceless mafia.”
Speaking at the Second Edition of the Divine Commonwealth Conference in Abuja, Rev. Okoh said the “Christian faith is something which must be defended.
“Every Christian is a defender of this faith . Every Christian of every generation must defend it. It is the duty of every generation to pass it on uncorrupted and unperverted,” he said, adding:
“There is scarcely a common understanding of how to begin to approach the advance of violent Islam- some canvass fire-for-fire approach; others believe that good Christians must continue praying and even try to preach to the Muslims to change them; meanwhile, the killing and Muslim advance continue unchecked. In between the two extremes are those who believe in dialogue and seminars. Unfortunately, Boko Haram is a faceless mafia, which makes this proposition merely academic, and non-effectual.”
According to the Archbishop, Boko Haram has stated that it wants to weed Christianity out of Northern Nigeria .
While Executing its mission, the sect, said Okoh, has been bombing, shooting, slaughtering and maiming Christians.
He added that due to the violence, many Christians have become intimidated and relocated to other places.
He lamented that “Our dioceses in Maiduguri, Damaturu, Kano, Bauchi, Yola, Zaria, Jos, among other are, now drastically depopulated.”
The onslaught against the Christian faith, said Okoh, transcends Nigeria as violent religious extremists, such as the ones in Nigeria, are now spreading to other African countries as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
He recalled that in Dare es Salaam, Tanzania, seven churches were burnt by Muslims on the excuse that a boy urinated near a mosque.
According to Rev. Okoh, Kenya and Uganda churches have at various times been attacked by the extremist al-Shabaab Islamic group, very active in East Africa.
The Archbishop also noted that Kenya is executing a full military campaign against this sect.
Rev. Okoh said: “The situation in the Sudan is complex and complicated. The Islam of Sudan is a fundamentalist brand, and there is a high traffic between that country, Nigeria, Kenya and other neighbouring countries. In addition to all this, there is the fluid situation in Egypt under the Muslim brotherhood as well as the boiling situation in Libya.
“Again, Nigeria is exposed. Apart from all this, the Twareg rebels in North Mali have added to the threatening situation against Christianity. They have formed a group, Movement for Jihad in West Africa, which openly threatened Nigeria, should it send troops to intervene in the Mali situation in Mali.”
