Rev Ladi Thompson’s verdict:Expect more bombings
•Boko Haram recruits more Northern youths
•Soldiers, policemen are members of sect
By WILLY EYA, VICTOR EBIMOMI
and SUNDAY ANI
Sunday, June 26, 2011


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Across the land, apprehension remains high, following the recent bomb effect at the police headquarters in Abuja. The situation is all the more troubling in the face of the strident stance of the purveyors of this deadly act – the Boko Haram. As at the last check, the organization has rebuffed every entreaty to stand down and scuffed at suggestions to negotiate. Instead, the leadership of the group has continued to promise more, deadlier attacks. It says that more of such deadly devices would be detonated across the country in the months ahead.

However, while some see the whole development as having political undertone, others insist that the problem is deeper than that. But Painting an ominous picture of the situation, founder and Senior Pastor of The Living waters Unlimited Church, Rev. Oladimeji Ladi Thompson said that the nation would, in the months ahead, witness simultaneous bomb-blasts if she does not immediately strengthen her security network.
His postulation came just as a senior member of the Penticostal Christian community, Archbishop (Prof) Peter Okoduwa, advised that the Federal Government should dialogue with the dreaded Boko Haram sect if its demands are reasonable and fall within the constitution of the land.

Thompson regretted that more northern youths were being recruited and indoctrinated to sustain the evil agenda of some powerful forces. He is also the international coordinator of Macedonian Initiative, a non-government, non-denominational organization established to provide succour to Christians persecuted because of their belief in Jesus Christ.

The conflict resolution expert said it was necessary for people to understand the root cause of the incessant crises and cautioned that the government and its security agencies are dealing with a sophisticated intelligence organization that operates way ahead of them (government and security agencies). The cleric lamented that the sect has penetrated the ranks of the security agencies and warned that if the federal government does not immediately take a decisive action, Goodluck Jonathan may well be the last president of Nigeria as a corporate entity.

He expressed shock at what he said is the lackadaisical attitude of the government in handling the Boko Haram issue. He said that bomb-making equipment were being distributed to youths to further cause mayhem in the country.“I am tired of speaking to a government that has blocked ears. I have been predicting correctly the violence in Nigeria since 2000, but the thing is so well organized for the kind of measures they are taking here. I do not want to talk to leaders who want to sit by and watch Nigeria disintegrate. Our security network is still using the same old method when other countries that deal with the same issue have to strengthened their system.’” He regretted that “most Nigerians do not understand the magnitude of the problem.”

But reacting to the development, Archbishop (Prof) Peter Okoduwa, has advised the Federal Government to dialogue within acceptable, civilized norms. The cleric maintained that dialogue is not weakness and has been used to solve several problems across the globe.“If what they are demanding is within the constitution, the Federal government can dialogue with them, but if what they are looking for is unconstitutional, there is no basis for dialogue. The security agents should handle them,” he said.

He however frowned at the resort to bombing by the sect, saying it looked as if it has declared war with the state or some people are just trying to cause distraction for President Goodluck Jonathan, using the sect.
He therefore advised that every Nigerian should rise to the challenge of the sect, especially people from the northern part of the country.“Some people don’t want Jonathan to know what he is doing, that is why they are using Boko Haram for distraction”, he stated.

Okoduwa, who opined that the sect could be an offshoot of Al Qaeda, enjoined the intelligence community, particularly the State Security Service and the police to rise to the challange and save the nation the embarrassment of incessant bombings. For a political analyst and political science lecturer at Lagos State University, Dr. Ababakar Momoh, the spate of bombing in the country is political. Momoh, who spoke to Sunday Sun, said the target of the bombers speaks volume of their intention.

He said the issue assumed a dangerous dimension after the PDP presidential primaries in April, in which President Goodluck Jonathan emerged the party’s flag-bearer. On claim by Boko Haram that its members are responsible for the bombings, he said: “I cannot say for certain that Boko Haram or any group is responsible. Even though Boko Haram has claimed responsibility, experience has shown that most of the people that come out to claim responsibility when something like this happens, are not always responsible. Maybe it is a cover up. The police should step up investigation and find out the real people behind the disturbing phenomenon.”

He insisted that unless there is scientific evidence linking the sect, its claim should be ignored. While berating the police for not living up to the people’s expectations in terms of intelligence gathering and action, the university don submitted that the only way to find a lasting solution to the problem is to find the real culprits, know what their grievances are and see how the issue can be resolved amicably. But the Coordinator of Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), Joseph Evah, is charging the northern governors and political leaders to take the initiative to rein in on Boko Haram before dragging the Federal Government into the matter.

He noted that such approach worked in the case of the Niger Delta militancy. “ When there was problem in Niger Delta, the governors and political leaders were used to settle it. They were the ones who spent time talking to the boys,” he said. He warned that Nigeria is in a big problem because of the activities of the sect and stressed the need to convene a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to discuss Nigeria’s future and to know whether there is still need to continue to live together.

“Their style of operation shows that there is need for a Sovereign National Conference, to sit and discuss the way forward. If we have a Sovereign National Conference, we will see if there is reason to continue to live together”, he explained.



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