President Goodluck Jonathan has reached out to former President Olusegun Obasanjo for ideas as the deadly Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the North-East region of the country spirals out of control, with the terrorists capturing Gwoza, a Nigerian territory, and declaring it an Islamic caliphate.
The development suggests a rethink by the Jonathan administration which had all along disregarded Mr. Obasanjo’s proposal to commence talks with the extremist Boko Haram sect through an informal channel.
Both leaders, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, met in Abuja Wednesday at the instance of President Jonathan and had extensive discussion on how to tackle the insurgency.
In fact, ostensibly desperate for solution to the problem, Mr. Jonathan offered to fly to Abeokuta to meet with Mr. Obasanjo.
The former President however offered to travel to Abuja to meet Mr. Jonathan out of respect for the office of the president.
Mr. Obasanjo confirmed the meeting on arrival back to his base in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
“Yes, I can confirm that I met with Mr. President on his invitation,” he told journalists. “In fact, he had wanted to come down to Abeokuta, but as a sign of respect to the Office of the President, I had to go. We had discussion
on the country’s security issues and that is all.”
The former President appreciated the invitation of Mr. Jonathan and assured the administration that, in the interest of peace and progress of the country, he would continue to make himself available whenever solutions are being sought for knotty national issues.
Details of the discussions between the two leaders are unclear.
It is also not clear whether Mr. Jonathan has now given the former President the nod to explore talks with the Boko Haram contacts he has identified.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, as well as the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, did not answer or return calls.
Mr. Obasanjo has for years advocated the use of force alongside peaceful negotiation as a panacea for tackling the insurgency in the North.
In May, Mr. Obasanjo commenced efforts to reach out to the Boko Haram sect, in a series of attempts at negotiating with the sect to free the over 250 school girls it abducted in April from their dormitories in Chibok, Borno State.
At the time, the former leader contacted a go-between, who assisted him in his unsuccessful attempt at mediating with the Boko Haram group in 2011.
The go-between, a lawyer, was led by a prominent civil rights activist, Shehu Sani, to meet with Mr. Obasanjo in his Ota farm in an “exploratory” effort.
After meeting with the go-between, Mr. Obasanjo contacted President Jonathan for clearance to continue with the talks. He was ignored.
“Without a response from the authorities, no one can proceed,” Mr. Obasanjo told PREMIUM TIMES at the time. “If they agree to negotiate then we can begin to talk with them (Boko Haram). Nobody can do anything alone. You cannot do it alone, it is not a one man mission, it’s not even a two man mission. It’s a collective mission. It can even be an international mission.”
Mr. Obasanjo’s 2011 attempt at negotiations with the deadly sect ended on a bloody note with the murder of Babakura Fugu, the man who received him and made effort to establish a link between Boko Haram and the former president.
The effort was reportedly not at the instance of the federal government, officials said at the time.
Mr. Fugu, a brother-in-law of the slain leader of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, was shot to death shortly after Mr. Obasanjo’s departure from Maiduguri, Borno State, to seek peace talks with the group.
The attack ended one of the best known efforts at reaching out to the deadly sect, which is responsible for thousands of deaths.
Since 2011, the group has killed thousands more, and recently drew the outrage of the international community with the abduction of hundreds of girls from their dormitory in Chibok, Borno State.
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Ok..I am sure this Germany visit has made him - put on the right thinking cap to move this country forward.
Anyway Sha, second term is around and he needs Baba's support.
Chief Obasanjo should seize this opportunity to tell him not to contest for this disputed second term bid in office.
Chief should also watch his sides...General comes to mind ..over attack in Kano recently...
Amandi ene ze......no one knows who to fear........

...

Okay.. I dey come

Dear Lord,your peace is our utmost longing in our nation,Nigeria.

OBJ,always wanting to be relevant.I hate to admit it but Baba is still very important.GEJ should admit it.

Its like d boko haram tin is a more of a parlour discussion dan a battle field tin.
We r waiting......

so baba don tire to write letters

who is fooling who?

Dem know who be BH

gej make u shine ur eyes ooo!

Cos d thing wey dey hungry pregnant woman also dey hungry dey person wey give am belle

nerodenero: OBJ,always wanting to be relevant.I hate to admit it but Baba is still very important.GEJ should admit it.

Thats just it. OBJ wants to be relevant by fire by force. However, history will not forgive obj for wasting the 2 chances to set Nigeria on the right path but he failed woefully on the alter of selfishness and personal ego.

GEJ has being proven right

Boko Haram is political

Can someone tell me how come OBJ has BH contact

There is God ooooooooo


No wonder the army handover an armoury to BH by leaving only two soldiers to guard the armoury at gwoza

The Mandela of Otuoke is finally seeing the light.

^^^^^^^^^^

FINALLY THE PRESIDENT IS THINKING. WHATS STOPING HIM ON DECLARING A FULL OUT WAR ON THIS SECT WHEN THERE ARE TAKING OVER TOWNS AND KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE. GEJ HAS FAILED
JUST HEARD BOKO HARAM ARE RELOCATING FROM SAMBISA FOREST TO THEIR NEWLY CAPTURED TOWNS IN SOUTHERN BORNO

#ebele till infinity

APC/poor people go and die

#Propaganda!

I hear!

Politics in Naija be like different episodes in a TV series (season). Make I dey observe from my hood

^^^^

Finally, finally GEJ had to eat OBJ's humble pie to survive as a president. I Knew all GEJ and his team of supporters were doing was just initial Gara-gara. At last, GEJ's gara-gara only ended up begging his master. GEJ turned himself to what we usually say in our local adage " pikin wey first him papa born pinkin"

Picture of The Otuoke Fisherman bowing to the Ota Farmer or adonbilivit!

After you made baba a redundant asset....its already late.

Good one, I think gej have stopped listening to those clueless thieves he surrounded himself with, I thought they said baba is no more relevant ? And to think some #occupymedia crew are still saying obj want to be relevant by force shows jonathan supporters are his real enemies.

.

Lolz..

Good move by the President. Obj is experienced in wars and insurgency unlike GEJ. But what obj is doing is the job of the National Security Adviser, other Security Strategists in the Cabinet and Service Chiefs. Aliyu Gusau should be redeployed to NSA or Martin Luther Agwai. Col Sambo Dasuki seem to be a nicompooop

In one scoope, all the cankerworms that insulted OBJ, called him names and told us how insignificant he is, have FlipFlop and bend backwards for OBJ.

To God be the glory!

i hate obj dan gej.........obj has clout and international respect but nigeria didnt gain anything frm dat..........then,he gave us a dying umaru and a stoopid jonah.

Mr. Obasanjo has for years advocated the use of force alongside peaceful negotiation as a panacea for tackling the insurgency in the North.

You don't negotiate with an armed mad man. There is no other option but military option. Nothing new will come out from the meeting with OBJ.

size38: Finally, finally GEJ had to eat OBJ's humble pie to survive as a president. I Knew all GEJ and his team of supporters were doing was just initial Gara-gara. At last, GEJ's gara-gara only ended up begging his master. GEJ turned himself to what we usually say in our local adage " pikin wey first him papa born pinkin"

You know everyone who seeks (re)election does this.
This move is comparable to the time that OBJ knelt down to beg Atiku. Please remind me what happened to Atiku politically: death.
GEJ is simply doing what is distasteful but necessary.
The sign of a strong man is him knowing when to bow to another whether or not that "other" is stronger.Power is not always about what you have the strength and influence to make happen its also about the strength to resist the temptation to tussle with every one who does not agree with you.

jmoore:

You don't negotiate with an armed mad man. There is no other option but military option. Nothing new will come out from the meeting with OBJ.

My opinion too but seeing as it's the election season, GEJ has to appear to be considering and implementing advice from the people who claim to be most knowledgeable even though their advise and logical process/reasoning leading to such "advice" is for shit.
Side benefits people who self delude themselves will say you are doing the right thing, the "adviser" at least for a while us off your back politically.If he does not support you at least he won't be against you.

CircleOfWilis: #ebele till infinity

APC/poor people go and die

I can see that you've sworn an oath of idiocy

Only when Boko Haram declared its caliphate, I guess he is tired of politicisation of the Boko Haram issue. I remember when Jonathan and PDP governors had meeting in Abuja over Boko Haram issue and general insecurity in the land sidelining APC governors including governors from Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States who are directly affected by the insurgency just because they are in opposition. What a president, shame.