Peregrino Brimah: Nigerians live everywhere… even in Borno – President Jonathan in Namibia By Peregrino Brimah on March 21, 2014 @dailypostngr What the President planed to put across in his recent statements in Namibia, only him knows, but what he seems to have said answers many questions as to the free reign of terror in the north of Nigeria and the unabated decimation of lives and livelihood. It appears from his statements that President Jonathan either hates the north or is totally disconnected from the north and views it as a separate country. This was the message he gave President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, at the Conference Hall of the Namibia State House this Thursday. President Jonathan told his Namibian counterpart: “Initially, we handle it (Boko Haram terror) with kid’s glove, but now we have decided to be a little more forceful because we must thrash out these terror groups. We must not allow it to continue to slow down economic growth in that part of the country. With the terror attacks in that part of the country, the rest of the country feel it because Nigerians live everywhere. In these other parts, there is always the fear that if you do not tackle it, it will infiltrate in these other parts.” The first part of his statement admitted that he had not taken the terror situation serious for the first years of his regime, and only recently did he realize to step up his war against Boko Haram. This explains the relative impunity Boko Haram enjoyed and their ability to reign terror in the northeast the last four years, resulting in the deaths of thousands and destruction of billions in property. But the second part of the statement was most worrisome. In the continuation of his talk, the President of Nigeria explained why he was now taking Boko Haram terror seriously and stepping up his war against them a notch—not all the way, just a notch as he said—Jonathan said, terror affected the economy in the northeast, “that part of the country,” as he referred to it. Then he went on to further describe his posture toward “that part of the country.” President Jonathan said, “With the terror attacks in that part of the country, the rest of the country feel it because Nigerians live everywhere.” What did the President mean by this statement? “Because Nigerians live everywhere.” Is it possible for Nigerians not to live in the terrorized Borno? Would Nigerians of other regions not feel it or will it not matter if they did not live in Borno or have people who did? Is Nigeria separate from Borno? Which would explain perhaps his message, that Nigerians lived everywhere including in Borno “country,” like “Namibia country” and are subject to the terror Boko Haram reigns on Borno country? Was the President trying to imply or inadvertently confessing that had Nigerians stayed in their regions, he would not care about the crises in Borno and the other affected states, but simply because Nigerians of all regions lived in all regions, hence Boko Haram which has been decimating Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states becomes his concern? Can we relate to his statement? What will be a situation where Nigerians did not live everywhere? And how will this determine the nation’s response to Boko Haram terror of the people of Borno state, Nigeria? The follow-up statement of the President I believe underlined and expatiated on his thought process and feelings. The President went further to say, “In these other parts, there is always the fear that if you do not tackle it, it will infiltrate in these other parts.” Basically what this meant is that if he did not inconvenience himself, so-to-say, tackling Boko Haram terror in Borno, Yobe and environs, it may reach “Nigeria.” President Jonathan’s concern is piqued due to the risk of the real people of Nigeria in “other parts,” who might be affected by the terror and hence it is now his concern. This is the implication of his statements.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:17:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015