“The arrogant and deriding manner with which Boko Haram members dismissed the amnesty deal coupled with the earlier quoted statement by Abu Qaqa have both reinforced our stance that the sect’s only interest is to eliminate Christians and enthrone Islamic state in Nigeria. This is why we are again calling on President Goodluck Jonathan not to waste tax payers’ money on a futile exercise. He should review the amnesty deal for Boko Haram in view of the bravado by the sect leader Mallam Shekau. Boko Haram is not only a local terrorist organization; it has a ring of international connection to it. Do not waste time pampering the sect members because amnesty deal will not work”, stated the Christian Association of Nigeria [CAN] President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor on Thursday in Abuja while being honored by the Christian Elder Forum of Northern States [NOSCEF].
The CAN President went on to point President Goodluck to caution. He cautioned the President to be weary of the Muslim leaders in the north. “Permit me to call on President Jonathan to beware of some Muslim leaders in the north and their very few Christians allies who always go to him in droves to seek regional concessions with religious biases; people who do not see anything wrong in Boko Haram killing Christians but want amnesty for the murderous and bloodthirsty sect members.”
“Amnesty plan is aimed to divert the attention of reasonable Nigerians from the cruelty of Boko Haram to Christians. President should beware of those who kept mute when Odi and Odioma in Bayelsa State and Zaki Biam in Benue State were destroyed by soldiers but now want Heavens to fall when Baga village came under military attack. He should beware of those who kept mute when Buhari and other Muslim leaders in the north said the country will be made ungovernable if President Jonathan becomes the president in 2011, but wants him to arrest Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo for repeating what they said earlier. Such hypocrisy should never be tolerated in a secular country like Nigeria.”
The CAN President discounted the notion that poverty in the northern regions of Nigeria may have resulted in the unfolding Boko Haram insurgency. In his words, “if we agree that poverty, injustice and inequality are the causes of the insurgency, a largely Islamic group, the question would be: are Muslims the poorest people, the most deprived? What about Christians? Can the claim of poverty be justified if the weapons and arms being used by the Boko Haram sect are calculated in terms of naira and kobo?”
In all, the [CAN] President impressed on President Jonathan not to waste time pampering members of Islamic sect, Boko Haram, “it will not wor.k”.
