Boko Haram: Ladoja urges Shagari, Abdulsalami, Babangida to wade in

Posted by admin Abdulsalaami Abubakar (1998-99), Boko Haram, Ibrahim Babangida (1985-93), Latest Politics, Presidency, Shehu Aliyu Shagari (1979-83) Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, has called for concerted efforts on the security threat posed by the activities of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

Specifically, he urged former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Military Heads of State, Generals Abubakar Abdulsalami and Ibrahim Babangida to step in and join the initiative of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in resolving the crisis. Ladoja spoke in his Ibadan home, on Tuesday, during a chat with selected media houses in commemoration of his 67th birthday ceremony.

A businessman-turned-politician, Ladoja decried the spate of insecurity across the country, saying the present situation would not encourage investment. “The Boko Haram issue is a sad one because, where there is no peace, there won’t be development. I think the Boko Haram crisis has been badly handled and that is why Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is coming in.”

“But I would have thought that it should be a concerted effort by the former presidents, especially those from the North. Abubakar Abdulsalami is still alive; Alhaji Shehu Shagari is still alive; Ibrahim Babangida is still alive. Let them intervene because we can not go back on western education”, the former governor stated.

A founding member of the PDP, Ladoja regretted the non-performance of PDP-led Federal Government since 1999, which he said could not be divorced from the poor leadership offered by Obasanjo during his eight years Presidency.

According to him, the party made a big mistake in picking Obasanjo as its candidate, saying the former president failed woefully to provide the needed direction during his eight year civilian administration.
“We cannot divorce Nigeria’s problem from Obasanjo. We made a big mistake by putting him forward in 1998. He had a very good opportunity but squandered it as he was more preoccupied settling scores with his people rather than offered governance”, Ladoja said.

On the recent moves by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reconcile with its aggrieved members, Ladoja stated that he and his group are open to discussion but quickly added that going back to PDP ‘is not yet on the table’. According to him, there has been lot of injustice perpetrated by the party, which needed to be addressed before any meaningful reconciliation could be arrived at.

“What I am saying is that we are open to discussions but anything that is going to happen must start with fairness. PDP was not fair to Oyo State. First of all, let the party understands that one.“We are not in national politics for joke. We are there for Oyo State’s interests. So, we are open to discussion. There is nothing that is rigid in this life and as long as it is in the best interest of Oyo State and its people, I am for it. Whether we are going to PDP or not is not yet on the table”, he said.

He cited the lopsidedness in the ministerial appointment at the federal level, which he said did not reflect the achievement of the party at the state level.

-Sunwp_posts