Boko Haram: North’s silence is sabotage –FG
• Govt to probe ex-gov

The Presidency is worried over the silence of Northern leaders and elders on Boko Haram crisis. The government is not comfortable that they are not condemning the Islamist sect enough on the spate of attacks and the loss of lives and properties, a senior government official said yesterday.

A top government source disclosing the feelings of the Federal Government said it was worried and concerned that since the sect increased its spate of attacks over a year ago, there has not been a strong condemnation of Boko Haram from the region, hence, raising concerns on the continual co-existence of the country.

The source said, this was the highlight of a security meeting held in Abuja. The meeting resolved to investigate a certain former governor who set up the militant group as political hoodlums enterprise. The security chiefs said he nurtured the sect through adequate funding until it metamorphosed into a terror group
The source said this conclusion was drawn at the end of a recent security meeting of the top operatives of the nation’s security agencies in Abuja, where it was said to have been resolved that a one-time governor of Borno State should be investigated for setting up a militant group as a political thuggery enterprise, and nurtured it through adequate funding until it metamophosed into a terror group.
The source further stated that government feels the sect is being used by powerful politicians in the North to undermine and possibly topple the Jonathan administration.

According to the source, “the alleged disatisfactory silence from the North over Boko Haram has given rise to widespread suspicion and serious concern within the ranks of the government, as there is a strong feeling that there may be more to the avoidable verbal inaction from the region than meets the eye”.
Also resolved in the meeting (the report is expected to be submitted to Jonathan soon for consideration and possible action) was the investigation of prominent politicians who have held high political offices in the past but suspected to be funding the deadly group maybe out of sympathy.

The meeting, it was also gathered, has advised Jonathan to engage key Northern politicians as findings have shown that “Boko Haram is a political weapon in the hands of embittered political investors”.
According to the source, “the meeting looked back at 1999 when a southerner, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, defeated a northerner to emerge as President, and the passage of Sharia law by some governors from the Northern states, which led to the gruesome murder of several hundreds of Nigerians, particularly southerners.
“Sharia penal code which was politically deployed by prominent, but selfish Northerners to recruit young Islamic fundamentalists which succeeded in destabilizing the early and better part of Obasanjo’s first term in office, until it became clear that proponents of the Islamic law lacked the morale right to proclaim it as they were identified to be worst violators and offenders”.

According to the source, the meeting endorsed one of the reports that Boko Haram became handy to some northern politicians as a replacement for the failed political Sharia to tackle the Jonathan’s government and ultimately bring it to public and international ridicule”.

On the planned investigation of the ex-governor of Borno State, the source hinted that there were concrete evidence that some well-to-do individuals when he was in office provided financial lifeline for unidentified individuals and groups believed to be sympathisers of Boko Haram in the recent past.

“Government is concerned about this emerging fact which has led to the suspicion and allegations that the affected well-to-do individuals were acting on a script handed over to them by the ex-governor to assist the Boko Haram financiers. So, we want to find out the bond between the accused (ex-governor) and the donors even when he has vacated office many years ago”, the source said.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/nov/21/national-21-11-2011-003.html

federal govt should get more balls,NAME those involved if they are damm sure.

LOL!!

Why should they not be quiet? The last leader that spoke with OBJ for peace conference met his death. If FG can't protect them, why should they protect Nigeria?

ROFLMAO!!!!


Why dem go talk? who wan die next?  No be you be commander in chief of the police  and Army? You wan make these ordinary civilians come talk go die? ROFLMAO!! Then don realize say dem be chicken in all this too.

Have they really be silent?  How about this:

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/nov/19/national-19-11-2011-09.html

This article is a good demonstration of bad journalism. It contains no reference to the FG or any of its agencies/publications/press releases/speeches, etc as directly saying anything, but attributes its title to the FG. Still, it is not impossible that the FG or someone within the FG is facelessly making this statement.

In either case, the whole sentiment of this article makes the problem worse rather than help solve it. Although northern leaders are supposed to reach out to the FG, it is also relevant to know if the FG has reached out to them. If so, how did they respond?

It should be obvious to onlookers that northern leaders are not going to make any bellicose statements against Boko Haram.

The FG should lead and reach out to all northern political leaders it is sure are not BH sympathizers.

9ijaprince:

federal govt should get more balls,NAME those involved if they are damm sure.

I know, Oga "Source" sef dey fear to use his name

DuDelignc:

Have they really be silent?  How about this:

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/nov/19/national-19-11-2011-09.html

Good to know the TRADITIONAL leaders, who I would not have considered the NORTHERN LEADERS are speaking out, but against Almajiri System? Do I sense change finally coming to the North?  I say kudos to these traditional leaders.

This is just rubbish journalism and troublemakers trying to spread their usual rumours.
Ex-governor Modu Ali Sheriff was questioned by the SSS in July: http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/12154-sss-grills-ex-governor-sheriff-in-abuja-over-boko-haram.html

Beaf:

This is just rubbish journalism and troublemakers trying to spread their usual rumours.
Ex-governor Modu Ali Sheriff was questioned by the SSS [size=28pt]in July[/size]: http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/12154-sss-grills-ex-governor-sheriff-in-abuja-over-boko-haram.html

Yea, in July. Before everything escalated to a much much more violence.

Ileke-IdI:

Yea, in July. Before everything escalated to a much much more violence.

Boko haram was violent well before July. The Xmas bombings of last year that killed 80 people occurred long before July.

Beaf:

Boko haram was violent well before July. The Xmas bombings of last year that killed 80 people occurred long before July.

Not as violent as they are now. And their target was not as specific.
Killing the man who had a peace "conference" with OBJ was warning enough to Northern leaders. Why do you suppose normal citizens who can identify boko haram members kept shut?

Ileke-IdI:

Not as violent as they are now. And their target was not as specific.
Killing the man who had a peace "conference" with OBJ was warning enough to Northern leaders. Why do you suppose normal citizens who can identify boko haram members kept shut?

That people have been quiet is quite different from the SSS questioning Sheriff. However, there have been a few voices, notably that of Jeremiah Useni who also blamed Modu Sheriff.

Boko haram will not flourish in a place where the people do not want it or support it. There was news just last week of people cheering on the streets as boko haram carried out their last attack. Nigeria is really fighting a slow burning civil war between the core-North and the rest of us, their tactic of using pseudo-religion and spilling insane levels of innocent blood are time tested.

The wider question is, if we are at war, what are our best tactics, who are our allies, were are our weapons and what are our resources? The answer to that compound question will fill pages, but ultimately, it will make it evident that victory, while certain, will not be quick.

Everybody is afraid of being assassinated

Ileke-IdI:

LOL!!

Why should they not be quiet? The last leader that spoke with OBJ for peace conference met his death. If FG can't protect them, why should they protect Nigeria?

+100. Post of the year so far!

Naming the sponsors will go along way to reveal the issue on BA.

reason why I don't buy or read THE SUN.

Didn't they say they will make nigeria ungovernable,so what else do you want to hear? Think of how to fight boko haran and forget the north

it was the same SUN that published that statement without attributing it to a specific person.

Boko Haram, a big test for the presidency. Until the presidency see the problem as a Nigeria problem and not a tool by 'faceless' individual to destabilize his administration. We'll just be rolling around the same area. Trading blame will never solve the problem.

Boko Haram is obviously a tool by some Northern leaders starting with the former Borno Governor & some other northerners who have decided to undermine GEJ's government.


Nevertheless, this is not an excuse for Jonathan to be weak (indecisive and timid) in presiding over the affairs of Nigeria. Since he has found himself in that position, there should be more actions than words coming from him.

GEJ: I know those that bomb Abuja. I also know that are sponsoring Boko Haram. I swear.
NIGERIANS: Tell us.

GEJ: Hmmm, Emmmm, Ummmm. They are now collecting Fuel subsidy from my pocket.
NIGERIAN: Tell nowwww!

GEJ: Hmmm, Emmmm, Ummmmmmmmmmm

When the president exonerates his MEND boys from an attack which they claim to have launched, how does he expect d northern elders to condemn a more deadly and independent (not-sponsored) organised group

When the president exonerates his MEND boys from an attack which they claim to have launched, how does he expect d northern elders to condemn a more deadly and independent (not-sponsored) organised group

I beg to differ on their being without sponsors. The culpability of some of those eminent Northern leaders is as glaring as their silence on these attacks. Religion and illiteracy have always been a political tool with Northern leaders since before independence. What hasn't been helping us recently is the indecision of Jon Dumbo. He sees himself as a victim and has refused to take charge, hence his adversaries have continued to grow stronger and more daring.
A few simple things he could have done to stem the tide:
Sack his failed security chiefs and appoint more capable hands, instead he rewards them with national honors.
Publish the names of those found culpable and put them in the court of public opprobrium. Instead he dithers.
Engage the northern elite and leaders of thought in more vigorous discussions. Let them understand that it is treachery to stand by and watch while the nation burns.
Declare a state of emergency in Borno, if need be.
Get our police armed to the teeth in these areas. Let his voice be strong, and his hand heavy.
Assist communities to become more involved in their own security, while the police coordinates.
All we get instead is a feeling that Jon Dumbo is just counting his days, feeling sorry for himself, and just wants to be remembered as a 'was once president'. That's why it never pays to give leadership to someone who isn't prepared for it. 95% of the time you get nothing good out of such venture.

Hmmmmm,  Boko Haram makes me cringe because they threaten the very existence of our country.  From observing Nigeria for the past few months, I have come to the conclusion that a few mad men with Bazookas at the 3 armed zone in Abuja and Apo quarters can really shake the nerve of the country.

I think governors from each geo political region (regardless of party affiliation) need to start having secret meetings with military commanders from their part of the country to know what military options each political region will have if or when all hell breaks loose.  Our leaders need to be proactive not reactive.  For example, leaders of the Southwest need to know the type of military weapons currently stored in the Southwest.  Are they small arms or are they heavy artillery?  How many Yoruba soldiers are currently located in the Southwest?  Do they have the logistics available to mobilize these soldiers to train a volunteer army in secret training camps?  What should trigger such a decision?  Should leaders wait until the national assembly is attacked by Boko Haram?  or should leaders wait until the President is assassinated or kidnapped?  These things need to be decided.

Ojukwu was caught off guard during the civil war.  His people were being massacred and he wanted his people to have a right to self determination.  However, the Nigerian army only stored small arms in the Eastern region and the number of small arms was not even enough.  Political leaders from each geo-political region regardless of party affiliations may need to start having these conversations soon.  We need to be proactive and not reactive.  Each political region needs to be ready.  NIGERIA HAS A WEAK CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.  We all say that Rome was not built in a day but neither was Somalia.  I am not being melodramatic I am just giving my 2 cents.  Shikena

Who doesn't know that the Northern leaders and elders are in league with Boko Harem.
Let's see how far this macabre dance of death will lead us.

PointB:

Who doesn't know that the Northern leaders and elders are in league with Boko Harem.
Let's see how far this macabre dance of death will lead us.

How can northern leader[b]s[/b] and elder[b]s[/b] set up an organisation just to be killing us ?

alj_harem:

How can northern leader[b]s[/b] and elder[b]s[/b] set up an organisation just to be killing us ?

To protest against losing power and to make GEJ regime meaningless; but in their miscalculation, they might just hasten the disintegration of the country.

PointB:

To protest against losing power and to make GEJ regime meaningless; but in their miscalculation, they might just hasten the disintegration of the country.

and u think the best way to do that is to kill northerners as well ?