Religious Leaders Warned Jonathan Against SubsidyRemoval – Onaiyekan

The recent Madalla bombing in Niger? state has? made the Christian community?? the center of discussion? on the current? insecurity crises? in the country . Arch Bishop John Onaiyekan? , the Archbishop of Abuja Diocese of Catholic Church in this? interview? with? JAMES UWEM,? sought? ways for government to end? the menace and also bared his mind on the subsidy crises. Excerpt:

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Sir, government has disregarded public? out-cry? and went on with the? removal of oil subsidy. This has sparked off protests, and? labour is? calling for a? total strike? across the? country? ? What? do you? foresee in weeks? to come ?
Government knows that this is? an un-popular decision. Though government has the responsibility to do what? is? best? for? Nigerians, my grievance is? why telling? us? that you? are consulting when you had? made up your mind, meaning that this was why? the? subsidy? was not? included? in the? 2012? budget.? It appears government? was playing? with the intelligence of? the Nigerians .Consulting means you are? ready? to accept? recommendations? if there is a better argument., but? in this case all the? good? arguments Nigerians presented? amounted to time? wasting . In? a? democratic setting, government can’t just? go on to? carry out? policies? that is clearly against? the people.

The? worst aspect is the fact that the? National Assembly seems not to have given their consent on this? issue which? surprisingly is the? first? time? the? National? Assembly seems? to be? on the? side of? the people. So all the good? arguments? and? rivers of? ink that? we poured? out? in writings? proposing? palliatives to be? put in place before subsidy is? removed was useless to government. Now, what measure has government put in place to cushion? the effects,? the ad-hoc mass transit scheme , how? far will it go to ameliorate? the sufferings ? is it going to be that government will put more? money in the? hands of? Nigerians ? Would they speed up the processes of? getting? our refineries to work?

Government? even with their? public? relations? arsenals? and all the? power point presentations by Okonjo-Iweala could not? convince Nigerians. In fact,? Nigerians see all her calculations ,arithmetics and her? political philosophy? as ill intended!? I don’t know if the few who? advised? Mr. President? are the? only? brains? and? intelligent people in this? country?

Protest? is? every where ,? people? are? dying , what would? all these amount to?
Whatever you? do as government , think about social peace, or? else? the general? disorder will? cancel?? whatever? gains? government is anticipating. That is? why? government all over? the world? in whatever issue calculate the social political? cost , because you? may think of? saving millions, but the cost? of? destruction? from general? disorder? over weeks? runs? into? trillions !?

The? President? was reported to have? said?? he? is? ready? to? face? the people? …
No!? Mr. President? can’t? say he? is? ready? to? face us. He? can make? such? statement? in the event? when Nigeria is at war? with another? country. We will be proud to? hear? our? president? being? bold? to? say we? are? ready? to? face? them,? but not to? say he? is? ready to face us, no!? Truly, the? president? cannot? face? us. ( Laughs? ) It? may have been a? slip? of? tongue , it is? not? we? against? Mr. President , he? is? our? President!?

Therefore, he? cant? say, I? don’t? care? what? my? people? say. I don’t believe he? said? it or? may be? he? couldn’t use? his? words? well.

In the? past few? weeks , the? country? has been engrossed with bombings? and? killings , the? president? had? just declared? state of? emergencies? in some? local governments , who? ever? advised? him should? have? known that?? this? is? not? the? time? to? create? another? crisis . When you have? a big? battle , you? face it? and? sort? that out? first .

Now ,all attention? is on subsidy , does it mean? that the Boko? Haram issue? has been solved ?? This subsidy crisis? will give? them time? to strategize the more? since? the Villa’s attention is? now? on subsidy .

If you want to give an adult injection, you? must seek his? consent . Nigerians are not? kids, you cannot say? Nigerians must? accept? whatever you are? doing , even when it is against our? interest. It? is not? just? enough to? tell us that very soon we’ll? start? enjoying . Government? at one? time? tried persuading religious leaders? to join in convincing the people? about the subsidy withdrawal . I insisted that? I will not be? able? to? face? the? congregation?? telling? them? of? something I am not? convinced.? My job is? to tell them to? trust in God, I will not? tell them to? trust? this? system because , myself , I am not? convinced. . You? see government? don’t? need? sermons , to buy? the? hearts? of? Nigerians, all? they need? do is? to start? implementing? certain policies that people? can see and say , yes finally , there is? something new happening , so we? can now trust them . .

Government? recently slammed state of? emergency in some places, is? that enough? for? Nigerians to go to sleep ??
When I heard? of? the state of? emergency, I said? yes ! Government can now? be? seen? as being serious? to tackle? the? Boko Haram? menace , but? when I listened? further and? heard? that it only implies? in some? local government, it pricked me? and? I wondered what? sort of? state of emergency? is? this ?? My understanding? and? what has been happening in the past is? that the component? of? the entire? state is? put under emergency rule , where? all democratic organs? and? structure , and? the? constitution? of? the? state is kept? at abeyance,? in which? the military? administrator? is? given a time? frame? to clear the menace? in that? state.? In Niger? state , it was? declared only in Sulaja , what? does that mean ?

The people will only shift? their base.? Well, let us? wait? and? see what may come out of? it. It does not mean that since? its a new? concept it will not? work, but? we? cannot? say it works until it works !

I would say that if we needed to get serious in tackling? the Boko Haram , the? fact? is? that? the? center of? this? Boko Haram is North East , so it would have? made? sense? to impose?? state? of? emergency in the entire? Borno? and? Yobe? states .

All this tend? to be just palliatives, How? can? this? Boko Haram saga? be? put? to a final end like? the Niger Delta militants? ?
I hope people realize the difference between? Niger Delta Militants? and? Boko Haram .

One thing? is? that the militants? were not? faceless, their? leaders were known. The militants didn’t target or kill ordinary Nigerians. They blew up pipe lines?? and oil? installations. More so, their demands? were? a bit? reasonable; that? the oil money should be? used? to develop the environment where? the oil is? explored .for? the good? of? the people.?? .? Whereas,? the demands? of? Boko Haram is? that? Nigeria must be? Islamised!?

To? an extent? where the? country will be? ruled? according? to? the dictates? of? not? just? the? Sharia? laws as in Zamfara? and? Kano , but Sharia?? according? to their? own interpretations ; after? the likes of? Afghanistan?? and? that of? the Talibans’.? Now their? objectives? have been publicly? rejected? by even the Muslims .

However , in dealing? with Boko Haram , the president should? do more? studies .It is not good? enough? to give orders? to? the service chiefs or? sending battalions of? soldiers? to a? place. The fire? for fire approach? quite often? does not work because? the? soldiers sometimes? don’t know? who they? are firing., rather the military end? up inconveniencing innocent? citizens. As it is, the people? in Borno? and? Yobe?? have? really suffered. Today Boko Haram is? ravaging? and? killing them , tomorrow? it is? the? contingent? of solders? rampaging all over? the place. They? don’t really know? who? to fear.!?

With? the? facelessness scenario? of? the Boko Haram? , the? poor? soldiers see every youth? as? a suspect. So budgeting? trillions? for? arms? and? ammunitions?? may? not? be? the? best approach. Government needs? to sit down? and? deal with the issue from the political , religious,? and? from international? dimensions.

Government should gather all political parties and concerned groups on a? round? table and? seek? their opinions, because? when you hear? top politicians? saying , Boko Haram is not? a religious? matter but a? problem of good governance,? they? are practically? saying? this thing is happening? because? they are not the ones ruling , this? wouldn’t? have? happened if? we were? the ones? ruling., we? would? have? known what? to? do , and? becaus we? are not? the ones? ruling , let us? wait? and? see? how? far? they will? go.?

So, president Jonathan and PDP? should? have? the? courage? to call all parties? together and? let? them make? such statement? in a round? table.? Politicians? and? political parties should? be? concerned with the unity and? corporate? existence of this country even when they? are outside? government,?? if not? the? whole? nation may be? destroyed? even before the next election ,? if there will ever be? next election.? Everybody should? be? allowed? to air? their views? just as it was done? in the subsidy debate.

The strategy, technology and sophistication of the? bombs? the? people? used is of? international dimension. You and I know that Nigerians? have gone abroad? and? have been? indoctrinated into Islamic radicalism in? the Al- Qaeda camps. We must not pretend not? to know? that moving? around? us are? many? graduates? of? terrorist academies. Now? since the? sources of? Boko Haram? is international in its ramification, one? will expect? that we? go to? countries where they? have? been tackling terrorism? for? long , compare notes? and learn from them how? they have been dealing with this? kind of? situations . Even America? reaches? out? to other? country’s? in serious? security matters .

Finally, whether we like it or not, Boko Haram? says? they? are Muslims? ! Whether it is politically correct? to say it or not , the? reality is? that this phenomenon has presented itself? with a religious? dimension We? can say it? is? not? true, they are? just using religion, but yes they? are using religion,? to? an?? extent? the whole? world? have acknowledged their? activities as? bomb blast by Islamic? fanatics? in Nigeria ,? therefore , we in the religious circle , Christians? and? Muslims? have? crucial roles to play.

However, I? commend? Muslim? leaders? for? publicly denouncing Boko Haram, but? I also? charge them that it is? not enough to disown them or say? they are not our own, or? to say? we? didn’t send them, Muslim leaders should? go further? to find? out who they? are? and? fish them out? as? bad Muslims, even as? a Bishop I know that we have? bad Christians . So since? they? are Muslims ,? Muslim leaders must help the? government identify these extremists who preach? violence and? radicalism . We expect Muslim leaders to expose? such groups? in their? geographical locations? from ward level.

We like to hear very loud sermons against their activities? in the mosques? and in the mass media . They should tell? them to stop? saying? that they? want? an Islamic state in Nigeria because, that means trouble . We religious leaders? must put? our? heads? together.

Well, people often ask, what? if in all these, nothing? changes????
Well, we? have not? reached? that bridge yet!?? People? have? interpreted CAN president’s statement? of? saying if government fails to protect? us, Christians will defend themselves, to mean that he is calling Christians? to go to war , No!? I have been inundated? with calls? from all over the world asking me? what? is the? real meaning of? the? statement? CAN president, Oritsejafor? made? and? I? told them? please,? I don’t think there is? any other meaning than its? literal, simple meaning. “Take? those words as they are , literally? as it? was said? that if government? fails to provide security, Christians will defend themselves? .

This is? not the? same? thing as? saying Christians? should? go? to war”. He was saying if, and if means? if.. its? only in the event of government? failing? that not only? Christians but all who? are effected may try to defend? themselves.? His statement is? like? a cry? of? anguish saying government please help us,? do? something , because if you? don’t? do something , we may not? fold our? hands and watch innocent blood spilling any longer.? I think government will not be too? insensitive? to allow it get? to that extent where everybody? starts providing security for? themselves,? that will mean a? general? anarchy.? Government I must? add, should make? Nigeria? a safe? place for? all of us , because? if? Nigeria is safe, nobody will have? the need to go sharpening? his? cutlass.