By Ndahi Marama

TO end the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State and other states in the North, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubukar Umar Garbai Ibn El-Kanemi, wants the Federal Government to expedite action on oil exploration along the Lake Chad Basin; and job creation, while Borno elders will continue to hold quarterly meeting at the palace until peace is restored.

The monarch spoke, yesterday, at his Maiduguri palace while addressing traditional and religious leaders on how to ensure “peace, unity and security” of life and property amid the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

He said the Boko Haram insurgency could be overcome with intensive “prayers and fasting,” while the Federal Government expedites action in the exploration of oil in the Chad Basin areas, so that more jobs could be created for the unemployed youths roaming the streets.

Speaking on the roles of traditional and religious leaders to overcome security challenges, El-Kanemi said: “Members of the Borno Emirate Council (BOEC) have resolved that elders along with their religious and traditional rulers will be holding a quarterly meeting at the palace.

And such meeting is to fashion out strategies and means of ending the incessant attacks, bombings and killings of innocent citizens by the Boko Haram sect members. The meeting is however not enough to end this insurgency that has lasted for over three years. Government at the federal and state levels should intervene and contribute their quota by expediting action on the Chad Basin oil explorations and job creation in the North-East sub-region of the country.”

He said one of the major reasons that gave rise to the Boko Haram insurgency has been ‘poverty and massive unemployment among youths, stating that the idle minds of the youths had created the devil’s workshops to launch incessant attacks and killings of innocent citizens in the state and some parts of the North.

He however noted that the people, irrespective of their religious and political affiliations, should continue with their prayers and fasting until the security challenges are collectively overcome.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/10/to-stop-boko-haram-shehu-wants-action-on-oil-exploration-along-chad-basin/


I am suprised at this comments by a highly placed traditional ruler like the Shehu of Borno for this comments. I wish to point out the following fallacies;

1. Borno State is not the only State facing Youth employment and poverty. Why have the youths in those State not resorted to bombing and suicide missions.

2. Fasting and prayers would not solve the Boko Haram issue, because it is purely political. So no one should waste time fasting. If the society and the political office holder cannot assist the security agencies in combating this menace, I guess it would live and stay with us for a longer time.

3. If Boko Harm is caused by poverty and unemployment, was it caused by Christian or non idigenes or other citizens of the state that are being slaughtered everyday? Why no attack the governors and leaders that have mismanaged the state funds over the years; why attack churches.

4. Is the Shehu using Boko Haram is a bargaining tool for the continuous Oil exploration in the Chad Basin? Oil Exploration is no cheap venture and it has been going on for years in the Chad basin, so the advent of Boko Harm would not suddenly increase the rate of exploration activity. On the other hand if the Shehu owns a multinational company would he be willing to mobilise to location and send his staff to work in a environment where their life would not be guaranteed to an extent. We know there are risk associated with working in Oil field locations; but you avoid the ones you know are avoidable.

Still there are more questions begging for answers. This boko haram stuff have become like the proverbial "THE MORE YOU LOOK THE LESS YOU SEE"

lol, oh my God! This is funny.
Firstly he should be handcuffed for thinking this way,shoot and be buried in the desert! He MAY not be supporting bk but inside him the devil in bokoharam is in him too reason cos they they both think alike, they believe there is a reason whatsoever to kill a group of innocent ppl inthe name of fighting for justice(to him oil well) . I always know i live with animals in nigeria from the time a common man on their street could kill a pregnant woman. I saw the dead body myself when the crisis of mocked mohammed in denmark second class stupid arabs

and to use poverty as excuse is even annoying. My father after the civil war lost totally everything, my mom dint finish school cos of the war, and lost his teaching job thereafter,my dad never got any kobo to start afresh cos everyone is devasted at late seventies, from carpenter to a successfull businessman,his seven kids all finish university, only one went polythecnic, three of them living happly in america! And so can i say same of so many family in my community to every igbo land but some one is blaming laziness for his failure!! Second class arabs!

The f.o.o.l is only looking for oil money, we all know that boko haram is political mixed with religion

This is interesting!