BOKO HARAM NOT SPEAKING FOR NORTH -GROUPS

A coalition of 79 Civil Society Groups, the Conference on Security, Development and Democracy in Nigeria, (CSDDN), has said that Boko Haram should not be seen as northern opposition to the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Governing Council of the associations, which was held in Lagos recently. According to the National Coordinator of the groups, Olufemi Akinbule Aduwo, the dreaded Boko Haram is an extension of the Al-Qaida but has been hijacked in Nigeria by some people who want to use it for the 2015 general election.

He called on the United Nations in general and the government of United States to come to the aid of Nigerian government since Boko Haram is not an internal affair of the country but has international affiliations.

Aduwo said that the threat by MEND to retaliate if Boko Haram carried out further bomb attacks is not right, as President Goodluck Jonathan was the president of all Nigerians. He called for the appointment of the former governor of Zamfara State, Sanni Yerima as Honorary Special Adviser on Religious Disturbances in the Northern part of the country.

'The Conference on Security, Development and Democracy is a coalition of 79 civil organizations supporting the constitution amendment and six years single term for the president and governors, The choice of Yerima is duly informed by his acceptance across the north as a political and religious leader. He stands in good stead to educate those who are calling for the practice of Sharia law in the north.

The Boko Haram menace should not be misconstrued as opposition of the north against President Goodluck Jonathan. We therefore called on the Niger Delta militants threatening to retaliate if Boko Haram carry out any bomb attacks to be wise. What is happening is that some billionaires without enterprise, that is those who cannot win election in their streets have hijacked Boko Haram, all for 2015 general election. We appeal to the United Nations and United States to see Boko Haram as an extension of al-Qaida. They should not wait to assist the government after attacks in the country. We appeal to all Nigerians to assist the security agencies in the area of information of these criminals in the society.

According to him, the removal of the National Security Adviser to the president is not the answer.