The Boko Haram crisis started on the
heels of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential nomination processes
of 2011. The wanton wastage of lives and property is strictly a political
retaliation against the candidacy and eventual election of Goodluck Jonathan. The
president confirmed this himself by saying that the Boko Haram has members in
the present political ruling class including his cabinet. Recent revelations
have indicted some of them but they are still free, with no meaningful
investigation or prosecution. It appears that there is a high-powered
conspiracy of the politically aggrieved to deal with the Jonathan presidency. It
is rather unfortunate that the leadership of this same PDP have not engaged
themselves on the fundamental issues troubling the party internally.
When the president came up with the idea
of the single-term tenure, it was the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that
opposed it vehemently. The Northern leaders who felt cheated by the election of
President Jonathan in 2011 would have supported the single-term tenure if it
has scaled through the National Assembly. Attacks are launched whenever there
is any comment or debate that puts Jonathan forward as the best candidate for
the 2015 presidential election. Attacks are however suspended whenever there is
an anti-Jonathan campaign at any level e.g. the Fuel Subsidy Removal Protest at
the Freedom Park in Lagos.
The Boko Haram leadership has defended
the sect as “fighting for God”. But this is far-fetched, knowing fully well the
genesis of the crisis – the election of President Goodluck Jonathan. Members of
the sect pretend as if the mass destruction of life in the North, and the
comprehensive economic wreckage serves anyone any good. The ruling class
thought that the presidency can put an end to insurrection in any region of the
country.
There were once the militants in the
Niger-Delta creeks that fought vehemently against perceived marginalization of
its people leading to wanton wastage of lives and properties. The Igbos are
still aggrieved that they have not had a democratically elected president in
the presidential villa since Independence over 50 years ago. It has been said
over and over again that no region has the monopoly of violence. Those who
think destroying the once peaceful and serene environments in most parts of the
North would meet their agitation should have a rethink.
The whole crisis as it stands now is
beyond Goodluck Jonathan, and his presidency as of today. It requires all
Nigerians’ attention and collective response. The ruling class should not play
to the gallery when it comes to the issue of security. It is when we have
internal security that we can boast of political stability and economic growth
and development. The convocation of a National Conference is long overdue. Many
issues still trail the political injustices across the length and breadth of
Nigeria. The National assembly should, for once, climb down its high legislative
horse, and accept that Nigeria needs to realign its political infrastructure to
survive.
There cannot be a State of Emergency when
there is an avenue that accommodates every citizen irrespective of their
political inclination to sit at a roundtable. The best time to call for a
National Conference is now.
