DANGEROUS TIMES ARE HERE - NIGERIAN CRISIS AND MATTERS ARISING - PSF
We, the PROGRESSIVE SOLIDARITY FORUM (PSF), are concerned that the Federal government approach to resolving the Boko Haram crisis does not seem to be effective in resolving the issues surrounding the crisis, and the unnecessary loss of lives, now running into Thousands, loss of properties and the socio-economic lives of many Nigerians in the North East geo-political zone, especially in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states- many displaced from their homes and economic life-lines, some as refugees outside Nigerian jurisdiction. We are worried that this crisis remains protracted even after nearly one-year of “Emergency rule” was declared by the Federal government and enormous amount of resources in man, materials and money were deplored and yet no meaningful results have been achieved, instead we witness the crisis escalating outside the normal zone of Emergency declaration.
In particular we of the progressives solidarity forum (PSF) feel the Presidency and the leadership of the government of the “Emergency” states need to work together in a concerted effort to nick in the bud, this festering “Boko Haram” crisis, that has now escalated to the Federal capital territory, claiming lives of Nigerians from all works of life and from every geographical and ethnic regions of the country. It is not time to play politics and we would call on the President to show more purposeful leadership and call his spokes person as well as of the PDP, particularly Dr Doyin Okupe, and Olisa Metuh, respectively, to order!
A situation where innocent Nigerians were bombed to pieces with various parts of their anatomies scattered apart and families are yet to recognise and pick together their dead family member in various morgues across Abuja, and the injured writhing in pain in those hospital and less than 24 hours after the president was seen dancing in what is more or less a PDP campaign rally says very little about the quality of leadership and compassion for those led who are suffering enormously for the leadership, or lack of it, that President Good luck Jonathan and its PDP reprobates have offered the country in the last 4 years for President Jonathan, and 15 years for the PDP as a ruling party in government uninterrupted.
We consider the recent war of words and mudslinging between the spokespersons of the government in power (PDP) and members of the main opposition party, the APC, over the Nyanya bombings and the activities of Boko Haram, especially since May, 2013 when the “Emergency rule” in the 3 trouble spot states were declared and instead of results, the stakeholders are throwing brickbats at each other instead of addressing the real issues- as totally unnecessary at a time when the leadership and compassion were needed, particularly from the presidency.
The governor of one of the states affected by the disruptive, if not destructive Emergency rule because of the activities of Boko Haram Governor Murtala Nyako raised some questions about the sincerity of the president and the ineffectiveness of the methods being used by the Presidency to control and combat the menace of the terrorist group, even alleging that the Presidency and the ruling PDP may be the funders, sponsors and enablers of the sect, or cult groups, shadowing as “real Boko Haram.” He gives instances and empirical evidence of cases, where the formerly rag-tag could not have operated with the level of impunity, with which they appear to operate, especially in Bornu state, at a time when there was supposed to be maximum security and armed forces personnel operating 24/7 in the state, both on air and on the ground. We expected the presidency to engage the governor and answer the questions asked by the governor and most concerned parties in the theatre of war and crisis zones, instead of pushing its “attack dogs” to do mudslinging and name calling, thereby deflecting and ducking from answering the real questions asked and for which Nigerians demand answers.
What is the point in committing so much cash, hardware and military personnel to a project and then declaring an Emergency over an area for nearly one year and yet instead of the problem abating, we see it escalating and increasing in dimension and sophistication, and with it many unnecessary deaths of both the civilian populations and even of the military personnel. Could there be an insider job? We of PSF also marvel at these phenomena. We particularly want to know why and how it was so easy for so-called Boko Haram sect to visit young college school girls hostel and pick over 200 young innocent girls and drove in convoys of cars and vans across Bornu roads that were supposed to be manned by military and police personnel with various checkpoints, unmolested, undetected and without any trace where they were taken to the extent that Hunters and Vigilante groups- with den Guns- where the ones rescuing innocent young girls, possibly to be used as sex slaves by the evil cult gangsters.
We also, in addition to addressing the security and safety challenges posed by the Boko Haram Terrorist group, want to ask what you have done about various contemporary issues that bother on the wellbeing of Nigeria and good governance. In particular we demand to know about the following:
• Where is our $20 Billion? (Note the humungous amount involved here- we are talking about 20 Billion US Dollars, not Naira, and I hope you do understand how far that sum of money could go in addressing the crucial infrastructure deficit plaguing the country.)
• As a corollary to the above, why is it that you decided to illegally sack the “Whistle blower,” Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, instead of offering him protection for disclosure of criminality and fraud in NNPC and their related agents in both the extremely opaque NNPC Accounting system and the ministry of Finance accomplices?
• Why are the rogue elements who stole close to N2Trillion in Fuel Subsidy scam since 2011 still working free and the chains of enablers in NNPC also not in jail by now for crimes against Nigerians?
• What about the few guys who stole Billions of Naira of Pension fund and recently the NNPC scammers of kerosene subsidy, a heist that was already outlawed by the administration of late Musa Yar’Adua in 2009, whose government you were an active part of?
• Why is the minister of Petroleum, Deziani Madueke still in her perch, despite many incriminating scandals and indictments of various panels, majority of which were set up by you? And why is it that the Governor of Central bank, Sanusi Lamido was “Suspended” to engender “proper investigations” of allegations against his running of Central bank, yet Petroleum minister sits comfortably, without any suspension or rebuke whatsoever, despite the CBN notifying you in “protected letters,” and the Nigerian nation as a whole, that NNPC officials failed to remit $20Billion of oil sales, under the watch of Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke?
• What have you done about the allegation that the prodigal minister of Petroleum has wasted a whopping N10Billion in Private jet charter for her work as well as family and friends’ social travels cruising around the world, most times on private and personal/social engagements at the tax payers’ expense? Surely it’s only fair to suspend your oil minister until the 10 Billion jet chatter palaver is proven to be false, if ever!
We demand answers to all the questions above as well as to some asked by Governor Nyako of Adamawa state, with regard to Boko Haram terrorist group as well as the various insurgencies in the North East and North Central states in particular. We also call on the Federal government and President Jonathan to show leadership, using all the resources at your disposal as Commander in chief of the Armed forces and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to fulfil the basic responsibility of a government, as enshrined in our constitution, by protecting its citizens and their properties and if a government can’t provide this basic responsibility then it has no business remaining in government.
Dr Ibrahim Emokpaire
For Progressives Solidarity Forum ( PSF )
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