The christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) in d 19 northern states and the FCT yesterday decried d failure of d President Goodluck Jonathan administration to check d boko haram insurgency.
The northern CAN was reactin to President Jonathan's statement dat the boko haram insurgency has not been checked becus 'members of the sect are our siblings and u cant ask the Army to wipe out your family'
in a statment made available to The Nation in Kaduna, CAN said 'the Nigerians now knw why the activities of d sect hav continued unabated. The stament signed by d northern CAN spokesman, Sunday Oibe, said the position of Jonathan on d activities of boko haram shows dat the nation has a big problem. It noted: 'The president seems not to understand dat d aim of d sect is to destabilise d country and undermine his administration.
CAN said it was shockin dat president Jonathan refused to deploy d military to deal wit terrorist groups makin life unbearable fo nigerians and threatenin d corporate existence of d nation. Ot accused him of protecti d group at d expense of nigerians who are killed on a daily basis.
While urgin Nigerians to be careful abut d type of leadership they vote fo in future. CAN said: 'the questions we want to ask mr president are these; are those been killed by d sect, particularly christians, not members of the nigerian family he is talkin abut? Is he now sayin boko haram members are sacred cows?
'wat he is telin us now is dat there is nothin he can do abut it. But we knw dat d Federal Govt has d power to stop d cruelty being unleased on nigerians. It is obvious dat d president is wilin to shield criminals. 'Nigerians can recall how former President Olusegun Obasanjo reacted when d Niger Delta militants attacked soldiers at Udi. Though d militants were askin fo their legitimate right. Obasanjo dealt wit them fo resortin to criminality while agitatin fo their right.
'No country in d world wil allow its soldiers, trained to defend its territorial integrity, to be kiiled by a gang of criminals witout reactin. Nigerians can also recall dat in Zaki-Biam, Benue state, the same Obasanjo sent troops to deal wit d pple fo allegedly killin soldiers.
'Now on a daily basis, soldiers, police and other security personnel are killed by boko haram members could tell us is dat these murderers are members of d Nigerian famility and he cannot mobilise the army to deal wit them.
'We knw dat no responsible family can condone any form of crime, let alone murder and destruction of property. The President shuld tell us d offence of christians who hav bee killed by boko haram members who hav vowed dat they wuld continue to attack government functionaries, security agencies and christians.
'So d President is not bothered abut d killin of christians and other nigerians! Is it becus christians are not members of this family he is talkin abut?
'Jonathan has failed christians, he has failed nigerians and shuld resign becus by his statement, it is clear dat he is not capable of tacklin the boko haram insurgency.
'Look at the reasons the Federal Government gave for insistin dat the boko haram shuld not be branded as a terrorist group durin the visit of the American Secretary of States, Hillary Clinton.
'It said if the boko haram sect was designated as a terrorist group, the country might sanctioned, which wuld hurt Nigerians, scare away investors well as lead to visa restriction and subject nigerians to maltreatment at airports all over d world.
'But are Nigerians not sufferin? How many investors are comin into the country? Many business premises in Yobe, Maiduguri, Kano, Kaduna and Jos hav been closed down. Nobody is comin up North to establish any business. People are sellin theoir houses and relocatin frm the north. Our churches are bein closed down on a daily basis. So wat investors is government talikn abut?
www.thenationonlineng.net, vol.7,no 221mondayaugust132012