The President of Nigeria is accusing its eastern neighbor, Cameroon of
not cooperating with it and allowing cross-border pursuit of Boko Haram
terrorists it claims return to Cameroon after attacks in Nigeria.The Boko Haram insurgency has claimed thousands of lives in Nigeria
since the President assumed power over Africa’s most populous nation.
The economy of the north has been seriously impacted by the uncontrolled
spats of terror and the President has come under increasing pressure to
act or resign as his administration loses its remaining credibility
within Nigeria and abroad.
This would not however be the first time the President looks for
candidates to blame for failures of the administration, both locally and
internationally.
It would be recalled that at the beginning of his
tenure, with each initial event of Boko Haram terrorism, the President
of Nigeria encouraged the blame of ‘northern elements.’ As time
progressed, with the amalgamation of several political parties, forming
the merger, APC party, the Presidency blamed all matters including the
provision of stable power on the ‘opposition.’ It can be recalled that
during an interview with CNN international anchor, Christian Amanpour,
the President claimed Nigerians were celebrating better power and
accused Christian Amanpour of being ‘with’ the ‘opposition,’ who denied
this ‘better service.’
Blaming others for the problems of the current administration is also
not unique to the President. Recently at the Powerlist 2014 programme in
London, an intimately close minister, the embattled minister of oil,
Diezani Alison-Madukwe accused foreign nations of ‘economic terrorism,’
for being the ones who purchased stolen oil. However in the face of
accusations of NNPC theft of up to and over 100 billion dollars, the
minister did not claim to be a terrorist as she had labeled such gravid
acts of financial sabotage, but submitted that investigations of the
illegal looting activities of the national oil corporation must extend
to the predecessor regime. On the topic of oil theft, the President of
Nigeria also played the same blame card in an interview with CNN’s
Amanpour, accusing foreigners who purchased stolen oil.
It is quickly becoming the defining feature of the Jonathan
administration to either flat-out deny or find others to accuse of all
its challenges and inadequacies. During the recent escalation in Boko
Haram terrorism, the Presidents media man, Reno Omokri was found to have
even gone as far as preparing press releases under an alias, Wendel
Simlin, to accuse the whistleblower, suspended CBN governor of being
behind the escalation in Boko Haram attacks which followed a replacement
of army chief’s and appointment of a questionable character, three-time
failed NSA as minister of defense.
Though the need for cooperation with Nigeria’s neighbors in the battle
against terrorism cannot be undermined, the difficult position of
Nigeria’s neighbors can be appreciated given the administration’s record
of recklessness, incompetence and protection, appointment and
recognition of terror masterminds and corrupt thieves.
In April of 2012 when the ex-governor of Borno, Ali Modu Sherif, who has
been clearly implicated in the metamorphosis of Boko Haram terrorism
and is indicted in the Abba Moro White-paper report with the president,
was arrested by the Cameroon government for Boko Haram terrorism, the
Nigerian Presidency facilitated his release with another senator who was
arrested with him.Upon his arrest, Ali Modu Sheriff said, “I did not know that
Cameroonians are like this, I prefer to go back to where I came from.”
Indeed, Nigeria where he came from under the Jonathan administration
embraces and rewards terror sponsors. Here is where he is most
comfortable.
Again, when another non-repentant MEND terrorist who has admitted a
relationship with Boko Haram founder, late Mohammed Yusuf, Mujahid
Dokubo-Asari was arrested by the Benenoise security services, the
Nigerian Presidency immediately sent to his rescue. The relationship of
the Nigerian President with terror sponsors and terrorists has
challenged his repute and commitment to the battle against terrorism
both locally and internationally. In a current lament, Noble Laureate,
Wole Soyinka who has called the ruling PDP party a ‘terrorist
organization,’ described Nigeria’s president as having ‘canonised
terrorism’ by awarding a confirmed ex-dictator who looted billions of
dollars, of which up to $1.2 billion has been certified and recovered,
and a known killer, an award of ‘national honor.’ Professor Soyinka
described ex-dictator Abacha as equivalent to Boko Haram terrorists. The
terror impact of the billions he looted which has been confirmed, to
the nation cannot be debated.
With a history of dining with and protecting terrorists and facilitating
the release of terror sponsors from neighboring countries, the
cooperation of such nations and their permission for Nigerian troops to
crisscross their borders freely is unfortunately legitimately
jeopardized.Without a true commitment to abating and fighting terror, which
selectively targets the poor and less affluent, Nigeria fails to garner
international support in its ‘war against terror.’ It will be remembered
that until Nigeria showed some seriousness and declared a state of
emergency against the wishes of his head of national security, as
impressed on the President by certain intelligence media in a May 8 2013
article captioned, “Nigeria at war,” did the US and UK government
swiftly adjust their positions, declaring Boko Haram members wanted and
freezing their assets.
Rather than a policy of denial of responsibility for failure and trading
blame with local and international players, how about the Presidency
accepts its credit for enabling terror and mass murder of Nigerians
reminiscent of the progrom years? Denial can never solve this problem,
and there is urgency for critical action or resignation. A friend of the
President said ‘he is still learning.’ Well people are dying, if he
hasn’t learned enough in 7 years so-far in Aso rock, he should have pity
on the poor who are dying and give way to people who have commitment,
moral competence, respect and balls. It is enough of politics with
Nigerian lives.At this critical point in Nigeria’s history, Nig
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