Boko Haram not targeted at Jonathan’s govt –ACF

Against unabated bombings and killings by
the Islamist sect, Boko Haram in the North
East and other parts of the North which some
Nigerians believed, was designed to cause
the failure of the administration of President
Goodluck Jonathan, a chieftain of Arewa
Consultative Forum (ACF), Ambassador Shuni
Ladan said such belief should be discarded.

Speaking in a telephone chat with Saturday
Sun, Ambassador Ladan said terrorism is a
global menace which took Nigeria by surprise
in the name of Boko Haram, adding that if
there is any part of the country that wants
President Jonathan to succeed is the
Northern region.

He reminded Nigerians that Boko Haram
insurgency did not start with the government
of Jonathan, but with that of the late
President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, and called
every Nigerian to stop associating religious
sentiment with the ongoing insurgency in the
country.

But in a separate telephone interview on the
same issue, the Executive Secretary,
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the
19 northern states, Professor Daniel Babayi
disagreed with the ACF chieftain, saying that
Boko Haram is fully prepared to eliminate
President Jonathan.
Professor Babayi said: “The objective of Boko
Haram is to eliminate western civilization
from the country, and you know that
Christianity is all about civilization, and that
is why they want to get to Jonathan by all
means and eliminate him.

“So, whoever tells you that Boko Haram is
not designed to remove President Jonathan
is not telling the truth, so the insurgency is
aggravating everyday because Jonathan is
still the President”.

However, ACF chieftain insisted:
“Let me tell you that Boko Haram is anti-
Islam, no northerner or Muslim is supporting
Boko Haram in the name of Islam, and we
should not forget that Boko Haram did not
start with President Jonathan’s government,
this problem started during the late
President Umar Musa Yar’Adua’s
administration.

“If North destabilizes Jonathan’s
government, the whole country will be
destabilized, and I don’t think any sensible
person would like to destabilize the whole
country.

“So, people should stop this wrong
impression that North is behind Boko Haram
in order to destabilise Jonathan’s regime, no,
there is nothing like that. North is solidly
behind him, and North is doing everything
possible to see to the end of the insurgency.

“The insurgency has caused serious setback
on economy of the North, so why will the
North support such criminal activities. North
is not praying for Jonathan’s failure because
the country belongs to all of us, and not only
Jonathan”.