‘As a parent, I am greatly disturbed about Chibok girls’

The Boko Haram insurgency has been proving a hard nut to crack for the federal government. How optimistic are you the crisis would soon be overcome?I am very optimistic Nigeria will soon overcome this turbulence. The situation Nigeria has found itself today applies to other nations and even individuals once in a while, and after […]

The Boko Haram insurgency has been proving a hard nut to crack for the federal government. How optimistic are you the crisis would soon be overcome?
I am very optimistic Nigeria will soon overcome this turbulence. The situation Nigeria has found itself today applies to other nations and even individuals once in a while, and after a stormy period, it comes to an end.

Would you say the intervention by foreign countries has had any impact on tackling the crisis?
Terrorism is a different ball game in international politics. Terrorists engage in guerilla warfare and not in conventional war. What matters most now is the lesson the Nigerian government has learnt from the crisis. Such a lesson will assist us in governance.

Would you agree with the accusation in some quarters against Northern leaders that, in a way, they bred the Boko Haram insurgency?
That can’t be true because the leaders themselves have a fear of being killed by the terrorists. A lot of them have been murdered simply because they condemned what those boys are doing. There is no basis in putting the blame on Northern leaders.

What do you think has not been done to free the abducted Chibok girls?
While I believe in prayers, I know prayers without faith cannot work. Nigerians should ponder inwards within them and think about those areas they have failed which might have aggravated the insurgency in the land. We should think of how we have behaved and inter-acted that might have encouraged or discouraged the other. Leaders, particularly, should do serious self-examination. I believe if we all do this, there would certainly be a way out of our problem.

So how do you assess Federal Government’s efforts in tackling terrorism?
The Federal Government is doing its best in tackling insurgency in the country. Most times, Nigerians blame the Federal Government without trying to find out what exactly is being put in place to address the problem. Government has given the terrorists room for dialogue and amnesty, but critics have questioned the possibility of granting dialogue to someone or group of people you cannot see.
Personally, I believe Nigerians should rather encourage the Federal Government in the fight against terrorism rather than blame the leaders. If Nigerians continue to blame government, it might be discouraged to discontinue the fight against insurgency and that would give the insurgents a boost. Since President Goodluck Jonathan came into power, he has not settled down to do his work because of one type of trouble or the other.  President Jonathan has good intentions but the insurgency has continued to pull him down.

The Chibok girls are yet to be released. How disturbed do you feel as a father?
Of course, as a parent, I am greatly worried. But I know the military has been doing a lot of intelligence gathering to get the children out.  The success of it will take some time to manifest. Nigerians should not expect any immediate miracle from the military. I also believe that those foreign countries that have come to assist Nigeria are doing their best to overcome the worrisome situation.

How would you say the insurgency has affected the economy of the North?
It has undoubtedly negatively affected the whole of the Northern states. Do you know that most of the fishes that used to come to the South from the North have stopped coming as a result of the insurgency problem?

Do you agree with the talk that the Boko Haram crisis is a deliberate plot to disrupt the 2015 election in Nigeria?
If it is truly the wish of some people to disrupt the 2015 election in the country, such people would be making a mistake. Anybody thinking in that manner will not succeed. No extent of insurgency would destabilise the country because Nigeria did not emerge by accident of history. What will make the country stronger is the ability of about the 250 ethnic groups that make up Nigeria to remain as one indivisible entity. Nigeria is the hope of the black man and the centre of all. If we can all come out and lift the country, irrespective of religious and political differences, Nigeria would be a great, pleasant place to live in.

What advice do you have for the Boko Haram sect?
My advice is for them is to sheathe their sword. If they have any grievances, they should let Nigerians hear them out. The country does not need the destruction they are inflicting on it. Nigerians should love another.