Boko Haram: No Need For Dialogue — Oritsejafor
Leadership Editors's picture
Thu, 23/08/2012 - 2:23am | DAVID AKINADEWO


The quest of the Federal Government to negotiate with the dreaded Islamic Sect, Boko Haram has been faulted by the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

The CAN President said in Akure yesterday that there was no basis for the federal government to negotiate with the sect, since the latter were not ready to surrender their arms.

Oritsejafor who took this position yesterday while speaking with journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital at the end of the National Executive Council Meeting of the Association, stated that the members of the Sect were killing everyday, which according to him means that dialogue was not in their plans.

He warned the Federal Government against such moves, insisting that the concept of dialogue was wrong.

The CAN President said although he was not opposed to peaceful resolution of conflicts, to achieve that, both parties must be willing to tow the path of peace.

He said: “Life is about dialogue, wars never solve problem, I am not saying dialogue is not good but there must be basis for it, people are dying everyday as a result of the attacks of the Sect, yet the federal government is opting for dialogue, it is puzzling to me”.

Buttressing his point, Oritsejafor pointed out that when former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua wanted to dialogue with the Niger/Delta militants, they first surrendered their arms before dialogue later came, regretting that this was not the case in the Boko Haram issue.

Instead, the clergyman advised the government to ensure that the security agencies in the country are strengthened to surmount the current security challenges, suggesting the training and re-training of the security personnel to be able to combat terrorists in the country

According to him, “I am not speaking against the muslims but these people are giving the muslim religion bad names, so something must be done, there must be conditions before the government will enter into dialogue with them”.

He insisted that they should surrender their arms, stop the killings, saying it is only then “we can talk of meaningful dialogue”

He also used the opportunity to advise Nigerians, especially Christians to defend themselves by praying fervently and be vigilant in the various environments, stressing that the only way to tackle the menace was for the people of the country, irrespective of their religion, not to relent in their prayers for the nation.

He did not stop without cursing the masterminds of the incessant killings in the country, saying “ Those who are sponsoring the terrorists, God will bring them down as David brought down Goliath, we believe the time has come they will be ashamed.”