NIYI ODEBODE examines security problems and protests against fuel subsidy removal in the country; and notes that there is need to arrest the gradual descent to anarchy

These are not easy times. In spite of measures taken by the Federal Government, there is growing tension and mutual suspicion in the country. An SMS sent to many people in Abuja on Friday was indicative of the country’s descent to anarchy. The SMS warned that Christians and Southerners would be attacked by Islamic fundamentalists in the afternoon on that day.  A  statement  by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, allayed fears of many residents. Mohammed, who said that there was nothing at such, assured the residents that security agents were on the alert. But his assurance provided a temporary relief, as Igbo leaders, at a news conference addressed by Senator Uche Chukwumerije and five others alerted Nigerians to another SMS, which indicated that Christians and Southerners would be massacred on the midnight of Friday.

For President Goodluck Jonathan,  this is not the best of times.  The President  is contending  with the self-inflicted  fuel subsidy headache and insecurity in the country. On January 7, Jonathan addressed the nation. The  broadcast was the second in a week. He had earlier addressed the nation on December 31, 2011 , when he imposed state of emergency on 15 local governments in Borno, Plateau, Yobe and Niger states. His action was a reaction to the Christmas Day bombings in Madalla, Niger State and Jos, Plateau State, which claimed 49 lives. If Jonathan had thought that the state of emergency was a magic wand for the attacks by the militant Islamic group, Boko Haram, he must by now be thinking of another solution.   The militant group  on January 6  attacked a gathering of the Igbo in Mubi, Adamawa State,  killing  20 people. The following day, the sect  descended  on a  Deeper Life Church in Yola and killed eight people. In the past one week, it has been a litany of killings by the sect, which ordered Southerners to vacate the North and Northerners to get back to their region.

The removal of fuel subsidy on January 1 was a shocker to Nigerians. Although the President had  in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework submitted to the National Assembly last October unfolded his plan to do away with the subsidy this month, many had thought with scores of people killed on the Charismas Day bombings, Jonathan would have put the subsidy issue on hold and address  terrorism, which his government is battling with.

Barrage of criticisms have continued to greet the removal of subsidy.  The Action Congress of Nigeria, whose criticisms have always been dismissed by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party,   said  the removal of the fuel subsidy at a time when the country was facing a security threat exposed the limitations of the  President  as a leader and heightened the need for elder statesmen to come to his rescue.  Another opposition party, All Nigeria Peoples Party,  said, “We view it as an insensitive action that will further worsen the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians who are already suffering too much. We have witnessed sharp increases in the prices of food items, transport fares and in virtually all sectors of the economy since the action of Federal Government was made public just a few days ago.”

While the President can  be accused of insensitivity on the fuel subsidy issue, the same cannot be said of  the plights of victims of  Boko Haram crises. When he visited Saint Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, where more than 44 people were killed by the militant group, Jonathan was almost moved  to tears. While many Nigerians appreciated the concern of Jonathan, it seems the efforts of the administration on the security issue are not producing desired results.  His speech  during an inter-denominational service to mark the 2012 Armed Forces Remembrance Day on Sunday, January 8 brought to the fore the helplessness of his administration. Many were stunned when the President said that Boko Haram had infiltrated his administration.  His speech was short of a song of lamentation.  Jonathan said,  “I remember when I held a meeting with elders from the North-East and some parts of the North-West where the Boko Haram phenomenon is more prevalent, somebody said that the situation is bad that even if one’s son is a member, one will not even know. That means that if the person will plant a bomb behind your house you won’t know. Some of them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary/legislative arm of government while some of them are even in the judiciary. Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies. Some continue to dip their hands and eat with you and you won’t even know the person who will point a gun at you or plant a bomb behind your house.”

Throughout 2011, when the Boko Haram consistently struck in the North-East and even Abuja, including the bombing of the United Nations office in the city, the President assured the nation that perpetrators of the dastadardly acts would be brought to book.  With repeated assurances by the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, many have thought that the Boko Haram problem would frizzle out, but the sect seems to be more emboldened, carrying out attacks even in areas, where state of emergency  has been declared.

But since the upsurge in Boko Haram attacks and protests against fuel subsidy removal, the Jonathan administration has not been short of advice.  Three renowned writers, Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof. Chinua Achebe and Prof. JP Clark-Bekederemo, in a joint statement, expressed concern about activities of the sect. They said,  “All who claim to be leaders must lead – but in the right direction. We urge a proactive resolve in all such claimants to leadership. It is not sufficient to make pious pronouncements. All who possess any iota of influence or authority, who aspire to moral leadership must act now to douse the first flickers of ‘responses in kind’ even before they are manifested, and become contagious.”

There are strong indications that  Nigerians may resort to self-help, if government fails in its responsibility to secure their lives and property.  After the Madalla bombing, the President of the Christian Association  of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, warned that Christians will have “no other option” but to defend themselves if attacks by Islamist militants continued. A former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu, corroborated the CAN President. In a statement on Tuesday,  Orji said, “Christians (Northern and Southern) and all Southerners must also refuse to be made scapegoats and must get together to resist these unwarranted attacks. If the attackers get help from outside the country to attack, Christians and Southerners should also do the same to defend, if help will not come from within. If we are singled out for attack again, we shall no longer turn the other cheek but shall demand an eye for an eye.”

The BBC’s  interview  with  the Boko Haram leader,   Abubakar Shekau,  on Wednesday showed that there was no end in sight to the group’s attacks.  Shekau boasted that  security forces would not be able to defeat Boko Haram.  Shekau, who  wore a red and white turban, a bullet-proof vest and sitting in front of two Kalashnikov rifles, said he was responding to recent statements  Jonathan and Oritsejafor. His statement has heightened fears of Nigerians that the sect is not ready to sheathe its sword.

With the President declaring that Boko Haram is worse than the country’s civil war, it is obvious that the group is becoming a hard  nut to crack.  His declaration was in line with  what Soyinka said on the BBC on Tuesday “When you’ve got a situation where a bunch of people can go into a place of worship and open fire through the windows, you’ve reached a certain dismal watershed in the life of that nation,” he warned.

The Jonathan administration needs all helps it can get. The Minister of State (1) for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, at a meeting with foreign diplomats on Wednesday said  the Federal Government had entered into sustainable partnerships with the United Nations Counter Terrorism office and the Global Counter Terrorism Forum to deal with the Boko Haram menace.

Besides foreign intervention, the administration has not ruled out the option of   which Borno State elders have advocated. The National Security Adviser, Gen Andrew Azazi, in an interview with a foreign news aganecy said, “Even if government has a policy saying that there’s no negotiation that you can’t reach out to Boko Haram, intelligence must find a way. I don’t think it’s everybody (in Boko Haram) who believes in the level of violence.  That’s why you could have other channels for discussion … It’s something we could pursue.”

The South-South Elders and Leaders have also reiterated the call for a sovereign national conference. The SSEL, led by a former Information Minister, Chief Edwin Clark, after its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, said the recent development in Nigeria with the menace of Boko Haram and the threat to the Federal Government by some faceless cabal had necessitated the convocation of a SNC. According to the  group, the conference will enable Nigerians  to determine whether or not they want Nigeria to remain as a nation or face a break up.

With the deepening resentment and distrust among various ethnic groups in the country, will the President heed the advice of his kinsmen and others who have been calling for the sovereign national conference?

-Punch

Posted by admin on Jan 15 2012. Filed under Boko Haram, Latest Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry