9th September, 2014
Kazeem Ugbodaga
Christian leaders, activists and others have asked the Federal Government to declare a full scale war on the Islamist insurgents, Boko Haram that have captured several towns in Northeast states.
The deadly Islamic group has scaled up its offensive against the nation, killing thousands of people, capturing towns and declaring them Islamic Caliphate.
Nigerians appear to have lost confidence in the government as the insurgents continue to gain the upper hand against the Nigerian soldiers each day.
Speaking with P.M.NEWS Tuesday, Christian leaders and others expressed dismay at the way the crisis in the northeast was being handled by the Federal Government and asked it to step up its offensive against the sect.
According to Dr. Ola Makinde, former Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, Boko Haram has defied almost every solution with the government not doing enough to salvage the situation.
“The Federal Government should be determined to act. If it has been external aggression, from Cameroun, they would have swallowed us up. We have had enough, we have lost so many lives and now the Chibok girls have not been rescued.
“We have not been serious in fighting them and it is time for the Nigerian government to fight them. We should have the courage to fight them and find their sponsors,” he said.
National President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Dr. Felix Omobude lamented the impunity with which Boko Haram is killing Christians and others in the northeast and challenged the Federal Government to declare full scale battle against the insurgents to salvage the nation. According to him, the Federal Government must wake up and confront the insurgents, saying that plans to Islamise the nation would not come to reality.
“We call on the president and the military to defeat these people because on daily basis, they are gaining the upper hand and in control,” he said.
Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo said there had been lots of misinformation about Boko Haram from the Federal Government as government was not telling the people the truth.
“We now have a serious problem on our hands. Boko Haram has now been mixed with religion, politics and tribalism. The Federal Government should declare full scale war on Boko Haram,” he said.
Comrade Abiodun Aremu, an activist, said the nation is already in a state of war because of the irresponsibility of the Federal Government, saying it is clear sabotage on the part of government, adding that the president has declared war on the people.
He said one could not explain why the military could not be properly equipped to fight the insurgents and why the military ran away from their duty post in the midst of serious security challenge. The All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in the last election in Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, said the Nigerian nation did not have a government, lamenting that it “is unfortunate that we have a president that is concerned about his re-election and not concerned about the lives and properties being destroyed.
“The military is ill-equipped and the government is deliberately not funding the military. It might be for the purpose of getting electoral victory because there may not be election in those areas which will count for the president. Jonathan should not rule this country again,” he said.
According to him, the Federal Government is not bothered whether the military is equipped or not to fight the insurgents.
Convener, Coalition Against Corrupt Leader, CACOL, Comrade Debo Adeniran lamented that the equipment being used by the Nigerian military were clearly obsolete, while the nation’s army is not prepared for the business of territorial defence of the nation.
“That is why the police that iare responsible for internal defence came up to tell the nation that the Boko Haram is more equipped than them. The insurgents are now gaining the upper hand and it showed clearly what the acting IGP and the army said that the Nigerian military is incapable of fighting the war.
“For Obasanjo’s son (Lt. Col Adeboye Obasanjo) to be attacked, it shows how weak the system is. The budget for defence and security is not being spent for the purpose it is meant for. There is nothing anybody can do about it and we should ask for amnesty from Boko Haram instead of us granting them amnesty,” he stated.