Politicians Behind Boko Haram Sect

Prominent politicians who threatened to make Nigeria ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan after the 2011 presidential elections are behind the violent activities of the Boko Haram sect, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Umeh, has said.

Umeh, who spoke in Enugu, said “disgruntled” politicians with “inordinate ambitions” are behind the current level of insecurity in the country.

He said, “There is no doubt that the various threats to security in this country are driven by the inordinate ambition of faceless politicians in the country.

“We cannot forget completely that in 2010 before the general elections in 2011, some prominent politicians in this country threatened that if Jonathan ever became the president of this country, they will make the country ungovernable and since Jonathan became president in 2011, that threat has become a reality – the country is being destabilized, the president is hugely being distracted from pursuing his transformation agenda.

“As people try to associate Boko Haram with religious bigots, I have always seen it differently that the spate of terrorism being passed through in this country is the handiwork of disgruntled politicians.

“It may be possible that some elements may have been recruited to do that, but it has been a joke carried too far.”

The APGA chieftain expressed concerns that the activities of the terrorists could ultimately undermine democratic rule in the country.

“We in APGA are calling on everybody for soul searching, sober reflection and thoughts on what the future of the country portends.

“We are lucky to have had fifteen years of uninterrupted democracy but certainly the signals are not encouraging to want this democracy to endure.

“People have used their personal interests to drive public actions and this is not the way it is done in civilized societies.
“When people’s personal interests are not guaranteed, they threaten the corporate existence of the nation,”he added.

Urging Nigerians to unite behind Jonathan, he said, “The people fomenting this present situation cannot reap from it during the 2015 general election.

“Nigerians are not daft and we know the things that are holding the country down.

“Boko Haram insurgency is an issue that should not be personalized to question the competence of a leader because even America is finding it difficult to deal with terrorism.

“The war against terrorism is not fought and won overnight.” Commenting on the ongoing national conference, Umeh noted that signals from the confab are not encouraging.

According to him, the national conference appears to have“turned into a dialogue between two deaf men.”
The APGA leader, who said his party was behind Jonathan, said the confab has not offered solutions to the problems faced by the country.