when OBJ cleared ODI village ppl are crying,now is pleading with boko's ppl still crying,what else do nigerian want from BABA IYABO Its now i assume that nigeria citizen its also bad as our leader too.

I dont know how good a step this is

Though I have never been a fan of OBJ.

But this step of his is highly commendable. This is what elder statesmen should be doing instead of inciting chaos. Recall the eldest son of the slain sect leader said this is the first time a high profile personality in Nigeria visited them. Am sure the family were highly elated by this move.

Hate OBJ or love him, this move is in the right direction.

How do you defeat people who believe that they have nothing to lose. Shot them, bomb them, torture them, all what they will be saying is "Allahu Akbar". How would OBJ have negotiated for peace between the Govt and the family/sect without government consent. OBJ, thank you. Even America negotiate and forgive Taliabans when killings didn't yield desired results.

"Since 2009, this is the first time any high-profile figure has commiserated with the family.

"We are happy with this visit. About 30-40 per cent of our members are scattered in neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroun.".

My question is: did the brother-in-law really speak the above quoted statement in English Language? If yes, then why boko haram for Allah's sake

Good move.But they wont listen until the FG becomes more serious am sure they will dialogue

Whether by cheer luck or ability, Obj has a good history on resolving crisis and conflicts as in Nigeria during d civil war and in some other neighbouring African countries. So IMO, if dis visit will stem down d rate of incessant bombings and sensless killings den let's give d Old man a chance.
Abeg wat we r looking for is peace and watever step will bring about dis peace is welcome!

ideylaff:

FBI clearance,  sorry,   I know we open our mouth to Yankee anyhow,,, but wetin concern FBI clearance to talk to a Nigerian Citizen, within Nigeria,  LOL, we seem to be getting carried away now,  FBI Clearance in Nigeria,

My take is for OBJ to be talking to the Boko Haram leader,  means they know where the terror is coming from, and all these while they kept quiet,  But now that they think this war might hit them
personally, they have now decided to talk,  

OR They are in the know and want to tell GEJ that we are in control, so he has made this move,
Either way it smells of a cabal in operation and in the know, Now OBJ has a one up on GEJ , no matter how much GEJ is bn convinced that OBJ has diminishing powers within PDP

Please 4get the FBI side I begiii, its embarassing mehn

So what has d Governor of the state bn doing since, drinking with the boko haram boys, or saying, u watch they will come and beg us,  ARREST ALL OF THEM JOH,

one sect in a country of 150 milion,  na wah oooo
@ beaf so u are the person who posted this FBI clearance,  thing,  na wah ooo u really don fall for awa hand ooo FBI Clearance in Nigeria,

I wonder why you had to post the same thing over and over?
Anyway, about FBI clearance; dude, do you think that our mopol or whatever are capable of investigating boko haram? Thats if the N20 takers are not boko haram themselves. Bera swallow your pride and be practical.
The investigation into the UN bombing is a 100% FBI matter. Our boys are only playing errand roles in an investigation that has been ringfenced from them after repeated failures (even with the good intentions of people like Azazi).

Anything boko haram goes through the FBI. Laugh if you like, but anyone laughing would really be laughing at themselves. Our police force is already a laughing stock anyway, its just left for us the citizens to join the party.

The way I look at it is, if Obj was on a govt mission, then we are about to see some heavy drama's. On the other hand, if he went of his own accord (a near impossibility), then he has walked into really deep waters, call it suicide.

I used to despise OBJ but i am happy that someone is doing something and trying to take control of a situation that seems to be going round and round circles,
SS say this,UN say that,CAN say this ,GEJ says that,
i think OBJ is really a strong leader ,really this news made my day truly
OBJ thanks,

A shallow mind will readily condemn dis move by obj, but on a closer look d rationale behind dis is this-a stronger leader has stepped in,and talks to d militants to embrace peace, d media carries it to d public, d north sees this as a last plea from a man who they fear, they in turn talk sense to each other, FG in turn wins northern sympathy. After this, if boko haram misbehaves then they've dug their own graves becos FG, OBJ &GEJ, and some northern elders would now move ruthlessly and shame d culprits.

Kingpin game,

BABA should be praised for this.I think he is a great leader that has the interest of the country at heart.
those who blame or insult has not been in leadership.
some nigerians can never be satisfied

The source said Obasanjo pleaded with Yusuf’s family to prevail on Boko Haram members to sheathe their sword and stop the spate of bombings nationwide.

Yusuf family is not even in the circle of boko-raham any more. They have been sidelined.

Boko-aram of now is different. Original boko-aram is dead.

This is another version forged by bittered politicians. We know them, I am not mentioning name ohhh

This is a good move and Obj has the experience and knows the terrain.I like his way of doing such negotiations.He offers you the choice of peace and war.He is blunt to tell you this is the repercussion of rejecting a peaceful offer.In his peace dialogue where you prove harden he goes down and dirty.I mean if it means your papa ,your mama,fool @ ? and waka kinda insults. Grin Grin Grin Grin.
Honestly its a good move.He handle crisis better than GEJ. Obj maybe known for being poor in, preventing or late in stopping crisis but definitely he ends it.Which GEJ is needing now than ever.Cos he is too late,definitely not proactive in crisis handling and above all not able to stop it.
OBJ is tested and trusted because:

Civil war (battled to end it swiftly)reducing the carnage.
Jos (ethno religious crisis)
Udi  Undecided Undecided (uprising)
Katsina Ala(jukun TIV)
Kaduna(sharia riots)
Kano(religious crisis)
Lagos(OPC gani adams ethnic attacks)
ND (militants / oil bunkering power brokers)
modakeke and Ife conflicts
Borno (Taliban)

Internationally:
Liberia
sierra Leone
Congo
Zimbabwe
Angola
Sao tome

Also include others not mentioned.Abeg he has the stick and carrots to play it well.I don't like his political antecedents but i like his crisis management ways considering our current state and our peculiar situation.We must atleast first bring a halt to it before we can do anything else.GEJ has done one here or better still like some rightly said the owners of Nigeria(PDP) are trying to fix there property. Grin Grin Grin Grin

OBJ is a master at this kind of trouble.Abeg make una leave the man!!!!

there is more to this visit

Lot's of ignorant comments here. People are actually cheering a sovereign nation's negotiation with a terrorist group? You people disgust me to no end. Hope you all are ready for the terrorist onslaught that is coming since you people have practically told them that they have a legitimate reason to be murderers and  totally taking a dump on the face of all their victims' family. What a country run by st.upid old men.
Ask isreal to teach you how to subdue Islamic terrorists and maybe you might learn a few.

How do you defeat people who believe that they have nothing to lose. Shot them, bomb them, torture them, all what they will be saying is "Allahu Akbar".
Says who ? I saw the ones arrested and charged to court. They were afraid and fearful. It means they too have heart!
Lets stop pretending. Nobody wants to die. Even Osama didnt wanted to die

How would OBJ have negotiated for peace between the Govt and the family/sect without government consent. OBJ, thank you. Even America negotiate and forgive Taliabans when killings didn't yield desired results.

When will obj be rid of in nigeria for nigeria to move on.?As long as scums like obj have say in the affairs of nigeria,nigeria will remain on reverse gear.

to me that's why this old man is better than other Nigerian ex president, where is Ibb, Atiku, Buhari all those big names are from the North and Muslim also but can't put mouth together and condemn Boko Haram, there are big brassiness men in norther Nigerian but cannot create job opportunities for the poor, the scholars are not well Educated, the Emirs that are mean to be their for the masses are now hanging out with the politicians. Nigeria go around the world for peace keeping but cannot take care of just for states. (Jos, Maiduguri, Niger-Delta, Bauchi)

Beaf:

The way I look at it is, if Obj was on a govt mission, then we are about to see some heavy drama's. On the other hand, if he went of his own accord (a near impossibility), then he has walked into really deep waters, call it suicide.

Heavy drama surely but, the kind where he insults people who may resist his attempts to address the issue properly.He targets the BH leaders family simply because for me it will buy him the ears of the members through such kind gesture to the next of kins.It will go a long way if the attacks are revenge for BH leaders.
We regard family and everyone has a soft spot for family in most cases.In short this move is the rarest of all.Since it happened how many top shots reached out to the families?It is a good move for the greater peace.forget the issue of not talking to terrorist.How about having the likes of boyloaf of BH spring up and challenge the others to dialogue and surrender.Ideology you say.Then this would touch though to reach spot of ideology.Cause even the hardest ideological humans bow to some kinda of family.
Politically he is relevant and controls a significant force in the Northern elite or atleast could get there attention when he wants.That is if it goes political.The old military boyz are a clique and continue to be.Such that espirit de corp would do well to get to areas GEJ would simply scratch the surface.

What was the purpose of his visit to this hands-full of blood family?

Obasanjo is an old fox and understands the psychology of the typical Northerner  more than an other leader from Southern Nigeria.  He understands that the Boko Haram onslaught against the Nigerian government is partly revenge for the cold blooded killing of their leader by the police and he is now trying to make amends.   It is the same sort of vengeful act by Northerners in 1966 that led to the Nigerian civil war after all their prominent leaders were killed in one fell swoop, by the coup plotters.  Good move by OBJ, but I just hope it's not too late.

How can offenders be judges? Nigerian leaders like obj are the cause of the anarchy in nigeria and same criminals we expect to solve it by buying off some zömbie terrorists like they bought the MEND HOODLUMS,giving them our hard earned money at the expense of true nigerians but this time the zombie brotherhood will use the money to finance wide spread terrorists escapade accross africa,they wont use it for blings like MEND HOODLUMS who are just as wayward as nigerian leaders.

[size=14pt]Ex-Nigerian President seeks to initiate talks between govt, Boko Haram[/size]

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Former Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo may be seeking to initiate peace talks between the federal government and the Islamic sect Boko Haram, which has claimed responsibility for the spate of bombings in the country in recent times, the private Nation newspaper reported Friday.

The paper said Obasanjo met with the family of the slain leader of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, Thursday in the northern city of Maiduguri, the base of the violent sect.

It is believed that the meeting, which lasted for one-and-a-half hours behind closed doors, was largely exploratory and aimed at initiating formal talks between the government and the sect.

The paper quoted an unnamed source as saying Obasanjo told Yusuf's family members: "This is a personal initiative. I urge you to forgive and forget the past. I plead with you to give me the chance to mediate between the family and the government."

The brother-in-law of the slain Boko Haram leader, Babakura Fuggu,, reportedly said: "Since 2009, this is the first time any high-profile figure has commiserated with the family. We are happy with this visit.''

The Nation quoted a top government source as saying: "The government is ready for talks with Boko Haram, like it did in the Niger Delta. The ex-President has decided to avail the government of his experience in peace-keeping operations. He believes dialogue could save the nation from bomb explosions. You should expect more follow-up talks with the Boko Haram sect. After all, after returning from the battle front, we go back to the peace table."

Among the sect's grievances is the summary execution of Yusuf, who was captured alive by soldiers and handed over to the police, who executed him.
-0- PANA SEG 16Sept2011

16 september 2011 08:27:08

http://www.panapress.com/Ex-Nigerian-President-seeks-to-initiate-talks-between-govt,-Boko-Haram--15-795115-32-lang2-index.html

Everyone assumes he went on behalf of govt. We'll get to know in the near future.

Nigeria and Africa in general should device its methods for conflict resolution and not just follow whatever any Country does.
If dialogue is necessary as stopping this disgraceful bombing in Nigeria, I do not see why a former President can not start that Process.
It,s even brave for a Southern Christian to be making such a move.  I think OBJ should be commended for the brave move.

On the other hand UK engaged with IRA, the bombing stopped. That is what was best for the situation then.
We should be looking at the end result of this, which is for all these bombings to stop.

If the nation could engage with Mend and we are not at a major war now, perhaps that model works for Nigeria.
While it should not be encouraged in all situations, I think the situation in the Country is at a critical state and needs critical action.

Its all good to be thousands of miles away from the country and be suggesting things, but those who are on the ground in Nigeria knows what level of fear etc they go through. In critical times, you adopt critical measures.

May God see you through in this one OBJ my man.
Brave move.

haka_nai:

Heavy drama surely but, the kind where he insults people who may resist his attempts to address the issue properly.He targets the BH leaders family simply because for me it will buy him the ears of the members through such kind gesture to the next of kins.It will go a long way if the attacks are revenge for BH leaders.
We regard family and everyone has a soft spot for family in most cases.In short this move is the rarest of all.Since it happened how many top shots reached out to the families?It is a good move for the greater peace.forget the issue of not talking to terrorist.How about having the likes of boyloaf of BH spring up and challenge the others to dialogue and surrender.Ideology you say.Then this would touch though to reach spot of ideology.Cause even the hardest ideological humans bow to some kinda of family.
Politically he is relevant and controls a significant force in the Northern elite or atleast could get there attention when he wants.That is if it goes political.The old military boyz are a clique and continue to be.Such that espirit de corp would do well to get to areas GEJ would simply scratch the surface.

I don't see anything special in Obj's visit to the family of Baba Fugu. Instead, it is notable that he did not go to Yusufs people.
I agree with you that there are areas where Obj would be a useful talisman, he has been around longer than most, from the civil war to being head of state and then, President. Thats not beans, he's been there through thick and thin. There ain't nothing that dude doesn't know about Nigeria and no political trick he cannot see from a mile away.

OMG MASSOP what are we waiting for. Umunna let us bomb everywhere, you know how we do it Ugbunigwe style. Let us make them come and settle us repair all our erosion ravaged area, send our children abroad for training before we give up. Since the new approach is you make trouble they negotiate and give you your due. Let us kill, kill and kill until they here us.
Afterall MEND did it they were settle
Boko Haram is doing it and FG is negotiating.
We too can do it better.
Ndi Igbo this is our time.

I feel very sad that some nairalanders arent following current events world over especially in modern diplomacy. Two yrs ago, the americans sent former president jimmy carter to go negotiate with their arch enemies syria and Hamas to know wat they want so that there would be peace for isreal. Although the american govt publicly denied sending carter but their were enough evidence to the contrary. In iraq, the americans couldnt defeat the various shiite and sunni militias running wild then killing american troops anyhow until the US struck mouthwatering deals with them to divert the guns from them. In the deal, the americans cleverly cut out the a militia stronghold and ask the militia to provide 247 security in that area and by each month end paying them from a quater million dollars or more depending on the size of the area. That was how they were able to pacify iraq. In afghanistan such method are, quite obviously, not working because unlike in iraq they cant buy the afghans. The problem is that anyone who can google would know that u can only hire the afghans temporarily because they are too determined as an adversary. The most strident opposition to any sort of negotiations with the talibans, has always been the USA. However, after ten yrs of unleashing the most devastating weapons of 100,000 americans, 40,000 NATO troops and 400,000 afghan troops on the less than 50,000 talibans and unfortunately as a direct consequences of very harsh realities on the grounds where the talibans still manage to control about 65% of mountainous afghanistan. Now even the ealiest calls for negotiating were made by american commanders when they saw, firsthand on the battlefields, the futility of further attempt at militarily defeating the afghans. The bitter truth is while the american drones kill taliban leaders everyday, the same american govt in conjunction wit the afghan govt are busily negotiating with representatives of taliban leaders. In a nutshell, 99.9% of wars have one thing in common: they start and end on the negotiating table. they break out when arrogant belligerents refuce to negotiate peaceful for settlement. Hence let obj continue to negotiate while the army prepares for the worst case scenarios. The yorubas have a saying goes thus: B4 U FIGHT, U MUST HAVE PAINSTAKINGLY REHEARSED HOW BEST TO PRESENT UR CASE B4 ARBITRATORS. This might even explain why other tribes,mistakenly call us cowards.

The only things that defeat islamic terrorism are uprightness,vigilance and intelligence and all these three things are chronically missing in nigerian system. Obj is only there to settle the nigerian way,the egunje way,the whitewash way, the knee jerk way and the biind man:s way. Somebody should remind him that he is dealing with international brotherhood of killers with the only goal of reversing the clock faster than nigerian leader do and making the people slaves to eternal darkness. And as soon as nigeria falls, other relatively peaceful west african countries will follow.