October 25th, 2012
NewsRescue- Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka is famed
to have described the Nigeria ruling political party, PDP as a “nest of
killers”. He also clearly in April, proclaimed that PDP was responsible
for Boko Haram terrorism. Current events have proven the professor,
highly accurate in his assessment of this threat that has defied logic
and consumed lives of innocent Nigerians of all creeds and works of
life, in the hundreds.
It is unfortunate, but as we wrote a while ago,
democracy does not work for Africa.
The multiparty(and even 2 party) system of western democracy, simply
leads to and foments inter-ethnic hate, violence and organized terror.
MEND (Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta) was very well
documented to have evolved from thugs, armed an utilized by the then
governor of Port Harcourt, Peter Odili, for his political campaigns. In
like fashion, the Boko Haram terrorists were reportedly armed by the
then governor of Borno, Ali Modu Sheriff, who allegedly used them as
thugs in his political campaigns.
For starters, Asari Dokubo, the self-styled ‘mujahedin’
leader of MEND was no more than thug who had been closely associated
with Peter Odili and played a pivotal role in seeing to it that the 2003
elections produced the ‘right’ result for Odili and his PDP cronies. It
was only a falling out between these two hyenas that led Dokubo to
‘discover’ the plight of his oppressed people and take up arms on their
behalf. Never mind that by rigging elections, he had deprived them of
any say in how they were to be ruled. Read more…
Wole Soyinka understood the dynamics of Boko Haram, as he explained
earlier this year. There are extremists, who if armed are ready to kill
anyone of another religion, or even anyone of same faith, who they are
convinced does not abide by their extreme versions of religion. These
extremists have been armed by the Kanuri political institutes of North
East Nigeria and utilized to further their non specific and every day
goals in regional and national political games.
Related:
NewsRescue-
Decoding Boko Haram: The Regional Ambitions and Permutations
Recent revelations from arrested Senator Ndume’s court proceedings,
and an exchange between the Senator in whose domain, a Boko Haram
kingpin was arrested and the ex-governor of Borno, Modu Sheriff, have
brought these fundamental, strategic aspects of Boko Haram, a mere
political thug menace to light.
Clips from the two stories follow:
Senator Ndume gave AGF’s mobile number to Boko Haram – SSS
Mr. Ineh, who was the Chairman of the
Special Investigation Panel, SIP, set up to investigate Mr. Ndume, said
that a former spokesman of Boko Haram, Ali Konduga, revealed the
information to the panel. He said Mr. Konduga informed the panel that
the senator provided him with the telephone number of Mr. Adoke.
The witness allegedly told the
panel that the number was used to bargain a governorship petition filed
by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Borno state.
Mr. Ineh said that the former
Boko Haram spokesman testified that the calls to Mr. Adoke were threats
to spur him to influence the Governorship Election Tribunal members to
cede the state’s election victory to PDP or risk mayhem in the State.
He explained that the name of the
Attorney General was dragged into the panel report submitted on November
25, 2011 on the grounds that his GSM number was found in Mr. Konduga’s
telephone set.
Mr. Ineh, in his testimony, further said
that the items found in the senator’s telephone were indicative of his
close connection with the dreaded group.
“The fact that Konduga was tried and convicted of terrorism acts is enough to show that the accused is also liable,’’ he said.
Read more…
The second piece, a Sheriff granted BBC interview, is part of the ongoing tirade between Sheriff and Zanna:
Borno PDP Behind Boko Haram; Zanna is a Gun Runner- Ali Modu Sheriff
It is laughable that instead of defending
his obvious involvement with Boko Haram, given his past antecedence
where people finger him as illegal importer of arms via his Hajj-by-road
fame, Senator Zanna is desperately looking somebody to hang for his
sins.
It is common knowledge in Borno
state that Senator Zanna takes along some hapless Nigerians on a seeming
religious voyage by road only to put some of the them into terrorist
activity and illegal arms importation. Some of the so-called pilgrims by
road have been traced to terrorists’ camps in Afghanistan and Syria,
and not Saudi Arabia, their preferred destination. It is very much on
record that 27 of such pilgrims are still missing uptill date.
Senator Zanna’s inconsistencies in trying
to defend himself are clear indication of a sinking man’s desperate
attempt to hang himself on anything available in order to save his neck.
If not so, what would his nephew be doing in the so-called house of
Senator Ali Sheriff, the man he said is his political rival?
Contrary to his claims in the media that
he had parted ways with the suspect, we can authoritatively confirm that
his nephew, Shuaibu, was still his associate up to the time of his
arrest.
It is an act in futility for him to try
to name Ali Sheriff as an accomplice in his nefarious activity with Boko
Haram, knowing fully well that the wild allegations being leveled by
him will never amount to an acquittal of his guilt.
The one million dollar question
is why has Senator Zanna never spoken against the atrocities being
committed by Boko Haram, rather he has been calling for the declaration
of state of emergency or the disbandment of the JTF which he knew are
antithetical to the quest for peace.
Again being the second senator
fingered, as having links with Boko Haram, it is a confirmation of the
wildly believed theory that the PDP in Borno state is the engine room
behind Boko Haram.
At his age and with the position he holds
as a senator of the Federal Republic we felt it is the height of
un-patrioticism and irresponsibility for Senator Ahmed Zanna to not only
fuel the crisis in Borno, but to attempt to drag the names of descent
citizens, like Ali Sheriff in the mud.
We know that since his inauguration
Senator Ahmed Zanna has never visited Borno nor his constituency even
for once can afford to play politics with the serious issue at stake by
sponsoring terrorism against his own people.
On this note, we want to call on the
relevant security authorities to fully investigate the incident and
senator Zanna’s possible links with Boko Haram, and also his
Hajj-by-road activities for which he was suspected to have used as a
façade for the importation of arms and window for the training of
terrorists.
-Alhaji Modu Sheriff is the former Borno State governor Read more…
Sadly, from these two pieces and other welling up evidence, it
becomes clear that Boko Haram are thugs for the hire, like pit bull
dogs, available to be used by various political interests in the Kanuri
North East, and other crazies willing to pay their dues.
Boko Haram is not what they claim to be, a Muslim radical group with
interests in de-westernizing Nigeria. That is simply a front they put
up. They, in harassing the Attorney General, to impose a certain
political party in the democratic, dare I say, western democratic
dispensation, prove that they are mere hooligans for the hire.
Now, we must consider that the Attorney General did not concede to
their threatening demands. The PDP candidate did not win the elections
as governor Kassim Shettima of the ANPP was confirmed governor. The PDP
candidate in the April 2011 governorship election, Alhaji Muhammadu Goni
had filed a petition challenging the victory of the ANPP candidate,
Alhaji Kashim Shettima. This was resolved with tough battles and
tribunal proceedings. We can imagine that chaos we witness in Borno and
environs is the fulfillment of this promise in response to the the
failure of PDP candidate, Mohammed Goni’s being declared winner.
ANPP contestant, Kashim Shetima succeeded his former ANPP boss, Modu Sheriff.
This 2010 pre-election article gives a lot of insight into the ethnic, historical and political tension and war that Borno is composed of.
Automatically Mohammed Goni, who was the first civilian governor of
Borno state, from 1979-1983, enters our list of Boko Haram suspected
sponsors. After all it was to install him as governor in the contested
April 26th elections that Boko Haram called the AGF and promised to
unleash terror in the state. It is very unfortunate that individuals
have lost their humanity and are wiling to support, sponsor and arm
people and hold states and the entire nation hostage for their personal
gain.
Democracy simply does not work in Africa. From Ivory coast to Sierra
Leone, to Nigeria, the multiparty democratic system has built the worst
types of intolerance and ethnic hate and division-ism and sectarian
strife imaginable. With long lasting effects.
While many Nigerians were carried away by former president Buhari’s
loud remarks, that ‘Nigeria will be ungovernable’ if the North did not
reclaim sway. The silent direct threat to president Goodluck Jonathan,
by the Kanuri exgovernor, the person of Mohammed Goni was not given much
media and social thought.
Mohammed Goni
GONI TO JONATHAN, BE WISE
Tuesday June 1st 2010
Second Republic politician, Alhaji
Mohammed Goni, has cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan to be wise
about the pressure being mounted on him by some people to contest the
presidential election in 2011. The governor of old Borno State advised
the President not to be carried away by such calls. He told Daily Sun in
Maiduguri: We should first admit that it was God that brought Jonathan
to power. He has to be wise in responding to the calls of some people
for him to contest.
Excerpts:
President Goodluck Jonathan and 2011
“I appreciate all the comments of the people about this particular
issue. When the security, peace and unity of the nation is threatened,
good voices ought to come out to intervene. This rotational thing
started during the Abacha constitution review exercise but we never knew
Abacha was out to stay put. Again, there is this northern team which
usually analyses political situation and offers credible suggestion that
would protect the interest of the region even the mid-belt share from
such arrangement.
“One thing I have found out in all
constitution reviews is that people have never asked to be separated
from the country but Nigerians have always been for fair treatment of
their people. This, to me means that it has become unanimous for
Nigerians to stay together where the South and the North will feel they
are part of it.
“We should first admit that it was God
that brought Dr Goodluck Jonathan to power. He has to be wise in
responding to the calls of some people for him to contest. I am saying
this not because I am a northerner. I’m also aware that there was a
gentleman agreement by the PDP leadership years back about rotation of
the Presidency. Interestingly, I am a member of PDP now. It doesn’t
matter to me who occupies the office. It should be given to the region
whose turn it is to produce the president, though it has only taken a
single term of the two terms agreement reached during the Obasanjo era. I
think it is good for the unity of the country and that of the party.”
Read more…
It is easy to conclude what Boko Haram is and why it remains,
despite the great success being achieved by the son of Dasuki,
NSA(National Security Adviser). As long as Nigerian federal government
does not put down a hard hand on these Kanuri politicians, who have gone
out of control, Boko Haram terror will continue to spread from the
Kanem-Borno empire to the rest of Nigeria.
The state has been led by politicians who are clearly affiliated with
Boko Haram and used them for thuggery within the state and in
‘bullying’ the entire nation. How dare a state political party have Boko
Haram terrorists call the Nigerian government and threaten to unleash
mayhem in the state if their candidate does not win? It is not
surprising that Nigerians are not reacting in most strong fashion to
this revolting information release. The country has gotten completely
complacent.
At this stage, military rule can be invited over the Kanemi empire
till order is re-established and control restored. It is not likely that
the civilian governorship of Kashim Shetima and the current enforcement
of law, including the JTF(Joint task Force) presence can deal properly
with these bigwigs, who continue to train, utilize and have Boko Haram
ready for hire in all types of intimidation by crazy politicians,
secessionists and other psychopaths in Nigeria and even abroad. To know
more about Boko Haram and its regional, especially Kanuri based
affiliation, see our prior article:
NewsRescue-
Decoding Boko Haram: The Regional Ambitions and Permutations
The United States foreign intelligence council, CFR, said this of the Kanuri based Boko Haram terror group earlier this year:
Nigeria’s Boko Haram and MEND Similar?
Stratfor, the
global intelligence company based in Austin, Texas, has published a
thoughtful analysis that is well-worth reading, though I disagree with
its fundamental premise. The starting point is a possible deal between
President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and the Delta militant
leader Henry Okah, now imprisoned in South Africa (at Nigeria’s behest)
for alleged terrorism. Okah has long been thought a senior leader of the
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) that carried
out extensive attacks on the oil industry in the Niger Delta between
2005 and 2009. The article places MEND in the context of national
politics and posits that a deal with Okah could be part of an effort to
secure MEND’s cooperation in the run-up to the 2015 presidential
elections, and the struggle for ruling party leadership, which, is
suggested to be already underway. It directly ties MEND’s successes from
2005 to 2009 to its protection by the delta region’s governors and
security officials. MEND’s activities largely stopped as the result of a
national amnesty that included a massive payoff of MEND warlords and
the region’s political leaders.
The article suggests that Boko Haram may be “The North’s answer to
MEND.” That Boko Haram, like MEND, is protected by political insiders.
The North has no oil, but Boko Haram has successful undermined public
confidence in Jonathan’s ability to govern. So long as Boko Haram limits
its operations to internal–not international–targets, it will survive.
Implicit in the argument is that Jonathan could end, or at least
significantly decrease, Boko Haram’s activities by buying-off its
leaders and according its sponsors with greater political influence. Read more…
Understanding these facts about Boko Haram, it’s being a regional,
politics embedded revolutionary machine, gives insight into why the US
refuses to list them as a global terror organization. The GEJ government
must attack the regional caucus involved, brutally and firmly, once and
for all. Meanwhile on tactical levels, it is believed that Boko Haram
has moved most of its ops to Niger republic, due to JTF clamping down.
Nigeria must answer and work with the Niger government to address the
cross-border terrorism.
NewsRescue
