Date Published: 08/14/09

Dear Editor,

Boko Haram and the rest militancy

Militancy can grow from any form and result in any dimension. Even kidnapping is a kind of militancy.

It will not be out of place to mention that Boko Haram is some sort of militancy; the sect is agitating for what they believe in. In one of the newspapers recently, northern elite mentioned that Boko Haram is a demonstration of frustration and hunger. I believe him to a large extent.

Take another instance in Akwa Ibom State where the governor late last year argued that there were no militants in his State.  But one wonders whether he would swallow his words now that the Permanent Secretary in Governors office, Mr. Michael Eyo in Saturday Champion page 4 of August 8, 2009 confirmed that militants from Etim Ekpo LGA of the state surrendered their arms few days after the president announced some kind of amnesty; more are still coming out. Also what appears to be Akwa Ibom chapter of PDP, people say is made up of AKPF and ADV, two ‘socio-cultural’ groups said to have been formed by governor. The Calabar branch of the AKPF had warned Cross River on its face-off on the 76 oil wells. In Daily Sun August 5, 2009, page 11 also was reported that AKPF Amuwo Odofin chapter (not Lagos State chapter, mark you) elected their officers. In Saturday Independent July 25 page B2 a report was “Militia Groups Buildup in A’Ibom, Abia”. When these grow to real agitation, would the federal government say they were not forewarned?

Gov Sheriff was reported on the front page of The Nation newspaper of August 5, 2009 to have allocated 80kilometres of land in Borno State to Boko Haram sect and attempts on him by security agencies to cancel it were rebuffed.

A stitch in time saves nine, they say. But are we talking to listening and action governments?

Obi Nede-Nuhu, 405 Ikorodu Road, Lagos.

obinede@yahoo.com