U.S. claims limited understanding of Boko Haram Oritsejafor accuses Obama of hypocrisy.

GLOBAL attention was on Tuesday afternoon turned on Nigeria as the United States (U.S.) Congress held a special session on terrorism in Nigeria and the activities of the Boko Haram sect. President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who was invited to the session, after listening to the Barack Obama administration reasons for acting minimally on the terror group, said it was the height of hypocrisy for the U.S. government to list three of Boko Haram leaders as terrorists and yet declined to designate it a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). U.S. Assistant Secretary, Ambassador Johnnie Carson, who represented the Obama administration at the hearing, told the Congress that Boko Haram thrived on poverty.

He said: “Boko Haram capitalises on popular frustrations with the nation’s leaders, poor government, ineffective service delivery, and dismal living conditions for many northerners.” Although he repeated U.S. condemnation of Boko Haram attacks, Carson urged the Congress to be cautious, saying “before we prescribe actions, it is important that we understand what Boko Haram is and what it is not.

The truth is that our understanding is limited at best.” The Republican Chairman of the U.S. House Sub-Committee on Africa, Christopher Smith, lampooned the American government for paying lip service to the insurgency in Nigeria.

It was when Oritsejafor took the floor that the panel had a better picture of the situation in Nigeria, particularly on the activities of the terror outfit. In fact, Oritsejafor earned the praise of the American media, which in their reports, declared his speech as a “bold and blunt assessment before the Congress on the issue of Boko Haram.”

The CAN boss told the Congress that by merely naming some Boko Haram leaders as terrorists without designating the group as FTO, the State Department fell short of the expectations of Nigerians, who have lost their loved ones in attacks launched by the group. “This would be the equivalent of designating Bin Laden as a terrorist, but failing to designate Al Qaeda as a terrorist organisation,” Oritsejafor said.

On several instances at the hearing, Smith asked Carson why the Executive arm of the government did not designate Boko Haram a terrorist body.

He even described as an insult and rejected the oft-repeated excuse of the State Department that Boko Haram thrives on social and economic problems in the North, insisting that “ideology,” is more of an explanation than poverty. His words: “Ideology that is highly radicalised may exploit poverty at times, but poor people do not necessarily become terrorists and killers. That is an insult, frankly, to poor people.” Oritsejafor agreed with the lawmaker, saying “this is not about economics but about an ideology that has a history of sponsoring genocide across the globe.”

Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, said the U.S. and the international community had not done enough to confront Boko Haram and identified with the CAN president that indeed the group’s attacks were focused on Christians. He said “attacks by the Nigeria Islamic group Boko Haram on Christians, including those launched this past weekend, are absolutely unprovoked, and they are unconscionable.”

The Congressman added that “people of all faith, and all people of goodwill must demand immediate action against the terrorist organisation.”

Oritsejafor explained that “since its creation, the Boko Haram network has never hidden its agenda or intentions.

Boko Haram has openly stated that they reject the Nigerian State and its Constitution and seek to impose Shari’a law.”

He said: “By refusing to designate Boko Haram as FTO, the U.S. is sending a very clear message, not just to the Federal Government of Nigeria, but to the world – that the murder of innocent Christians and Muslims, who reject Islamism, and I make a clear distinction here between Islam and Islamism are acceptable losses.”

The clergyman asserted that “it is hypocritical for the U.S. and the international community to say that they believe in freedom and equality, when their actions do not support those who are being persecuted.”

Describing Boko Haram’s actions “a systematic campaign of terror and violence,” he submitted that the group’s activities is “outright terrorism.” According to him, Boko Haram’s intent is to exterminate western influence in Nigeria and end Christianity in the country, wondering how such could be seen as a legitimate political activity or the airing of grievances.

“A non-designation for the group only serves to hamper the cause of justice, and has emboldened Boko Haram to continue to strike at those who are denied equal protection under the law,” Oritsejafor declared. The CAN leader lamented the loss of lives in Nigeria to Boko Haram and warned the U.S. of the danger the group posed to the international community.

His words: “In Nigeria, my people are dying every day, and it is only a matter of time before the international terrorist links and anti-democratic Islamist agenda of Boko Haram turns its attention to the U.S. In fact, this may already be a reality. In April of 2012, the NYPD learned that a U.S. resident living on the East Coast had sent surveillance.

Musiwa2: i dont see obama in hypocrisy. the issue is, it is hard to define boko haram. boko haram is seeking a country in the north. it make it hard to define them as either a rebel army or terrorists .

the issue is. boko haram is northern base. boko haram also have attack non christian location. boko haram has target southerner who are not christian.

it is saying, it want north to be a country.


since boko haram can also be define as a rebellion army. it makes it hard to define them.. they want an islamic country in the north.. ethnicity play alot in this.

Ngwakwe: The CAN President is doing his job. If he doesn't shout and alert the whole world of the present and imminent danger that are facing any Christian living in Northern Nigeria.

It will be on record that genocide was committed against Christians under his watch and during his leadership.

Mandelaguy: I love this man's boldness. BH cannot continue to kill at will and go scot free!

Boazizzy08: Good one from the CAN leader .aw can leaders of BOKOHARAM be ITO,without the group?.its high time the US make open their interest and intentions in Nigeria.

solomon111: Yeah, But it was the same US that violated the soverignty of pakistan,when they were hunting for osama bin laden.
Yes,the US can do no wrong.
SMH.

eledalo: bling bling pastor. calls someone a hypocrite? [img]http://4.bp..com/-GjNK52n8fW8/TZyJigpD5OI/AAAAAAAAAxs/Q-I3sJS-MC8/s400/hyena-144.jpg[/img]

Sisi_Kill: Won't it be nice if all the Pastors from the Mega churches added their voices to this cause? But nah. . . that would be asking too much, no? It would mean taking time out of their prosperity preaching, tithe collecting, jet buying, winch slapping and mega school building tasks.

Sure they are murdering Christians up the wazoo. . .as long as it does not affect how much money comes in every Sunday. . .they are cool, people.

brownlord:


Most every comment relating to pastor or christians be directed to Bishop Oyedepo? why you keep fooling yourself over someone that you can never in your life measure up with?

brownlord:


Most every comment relating to pastor or christians be directed to Bishop Oyedepo? why you keep fooling yourself over someone that you can never in your life measure up with?