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…Asks
National Assembly to reject it
National Assembly to reject it
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has
described the declaration of a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe
States by President Goodluck Jonathan as lacking in original thinking, and
therefore asked the National Assembly to reject it.
described the declaration of a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe
States by President Goodluck Jonathan as lacking in original thinking, and
therefore asked the National Assembly to reject it.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by
its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said if the
use of force was capable of ending the Boko Haram crisis, it would have ended a
long time ago.
its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said if the
use of force was capable of ending the Boko Haram crisis, it would have ended a
long time ago.
It said while the President was right in
expressing outrage over the mindless killings and wanton destruction by the
insurgents, he was wrong in proposing more of the same measures that have
failed to yield results.
expressing outrage over the mindless killings and wanton destruction by the
insurgents, he was wrong in proposing more of the same measures that have
failed to yield results.
”If the medicine given to a patient has not
cured his or her illness, is it not futile to prescribe more of the same
medicine for the patient? If the declaration of a state of emergency in 15
local government areas in four states in 2011 has not curbed the activities of
the insurgents, why extend such measure to other areas? If the use of force in
the affected states have failed to curtail the activities of the insurgents,
why send in more troops?
”There is nothing new in the President’s action.
It is more of the same: deployment of more troops to the affected states and
the use of tougher, scorched-earth tactics against the insurgents. In the first
instance, this stepped-up militarization of the states amounts to an asymmetric
use of force in an environment where the insurgents operate within a civilian
population, hence it will ultimately be counterproductive as the death toll
will continue to mount while the civilian population – who will be caught in
the cross fire – will be alienated.
It is more of the same: deployment of more troops to the affected states and
the use of tougher, scorched-earth tactics against the insurgents. In the first
instance, this stepped-up militarization of the states amounts to an asymmetric
use of force in an environment where the insurgents operate within a civilian
population, hence it will ultimately be counterproductive as the death toll
will continue to mount while the civilian population – who will be caught in
the cross fire – will be alienated.
”Secondly, the President should go ahead and
disband the committee he recently inaugurated and saddled with reaching out to
the insurgents, because by opting to flood the states with more troops under an
ill-advised emergency rule, he has succeeded in pulling the carpet from under
the Committee’s feet. Who negotiates genuinely with a gun
to his head? The committee’s job is over, the members can as well pack up and
go home.
disband the committee he recently inaugurated and saddled with reaching out to
the insurgents, because by opting to flood the states with more troops under an
ill-advised emergency rule, he has succeeded in pulling the carpet from under
the Committee’s feet. Who negotiates genuinely with a gun
to his head? The committee’s job is over, the members can as well pack up and
go home.
”Thirdly, one hopes the President’s action is
not linked to the politics of 2015. With the three states militarized, there
can neither be electioneering campaign nor voting there. We had warned earlier
that as 2015 approaches, the Jonathan Administration will increasingly take
measures that will make it impossible to hold election in many states The over
militarization of some states in the north, the plan to destabilise the South-west
using slush funds from the so-called oil pipeline protection contract and the
infantile threats from some Niger Delta militants seem to be part of this plan
not linked to the politics of 2015. With the three states militarized, there
can neither be electioneering campaign nor voting there. We had warned earlier
that as 2015 approaches, the Jonathan Administration will increasingly take
measures that will make it impossible to hold election in many states The over
militarization of some states in the north, the plan to destabilise the South-west
using slush funds from the so-called oil pipeline protection contract and the
infantile threats from some Niger Delta militants seem to be part of this plan
”Fourthly, what happens if and when the
declaration of emergency rule fails to stem the violence, now that the
President has gone for broke and played his last card?
declaration of emergency rule fails to stem the violence, now that the
President has gone for broke and played his last card?
”In view of the reasons stated above, we hereby
reject the declaration of emergency rule in the three states of Adamawa, Borno
and Yobe, and we call on the National Assembly to also reject it and not allow
itself to be used to rubber stamp a declaration that is largely cosmetic.
reject the declaration of emergency rule in the three states of Adamawa, Borno
and Yobe, and we call on the National Assembly to also reject it and not allow
itself to be used to rubber stamp a declaration that is largely cosmetic.
”We reiterate our earlier statements that the
Boko Haram crisis has its roots in years of bad governance that have produced
an army of unemployed,
unemployable, disenchanted and demoralized youths who are now ready hands and
willing tools for those seeking to perpetrate violence. The unprecedented
corruption across the land, as well as injustice and extra-judicial killings
are also fuelling this crisis,” ACN said.
Boko Haram crisis has its roots in years of bad governance that have produced
an army of unemployed,
unemployable, disenchanted and demoralized youths who are now ready hands and
willing tools for those seeking to perpetrate violence. The unprecedented
corruption across the land, as well as injustice and extra-judicial killings
are also fuelling this crisis,” ACN said.
The party said while the short-term solution to
the Boko Haram crisis should be a combination of dialogue and a minimal use of
force, the long term measure to deny Boko Haram of willing recruits and make
the sect unattractive to anyone is to ensure that the State can adequately meet
the yearnings and aspirations of its citizens. And the only way to do this is
through good governance that delivers the dividends of democracy to the
citizens; stamps out corruption and ensures a just and equitable society.
the Boko Haram crisis should be a combination of dialogue and a minimal use of
force, the long term measure to deny Boko Haram of willing recruits and make
the sect unattractive to anyone is to ensure that the State can adequately meet
the yearnings and aspirations of its citizens. And the only way to do this is
through good governance that delivers the dividends of democracy to the
citizens; stamps out corruption and ensures a just and equitable society.
”Boko Haram is like a bad tree. To kill it, it
must be uprooted, instead of trimming its branches. The measures announced by
President Jonathan on Tuesday will not deliver the killer punch to this
reprehensible sect. There is need to think out of the box,” it said.
must be uprooted, instead of trimming its branches. The measures announced by
President Jonathan on Tuesday will not deliver the killer punch to this
reprehensible sect. There is need to think out of the box,” it said.
