A prominent member of the British parliament, Mr. Andrew Rosindell has
questioned the UK foreign secretary, Mr. William Hague, on the country’s
engagement with Nigeria’s leading opposition party, the All Progressives
Congress (APC), over the Boko Haram menace.
This came after a debate in parliament in which Labour MP Sandra Osborne
sought to examine allegations of links between APC and the insurgents.
The increasing questioning of the UK government by MPs on the issue may
force an enquiry into the allegations.
However, APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told TheCable on Friday that
he was not aware of any meeting between the leadership of APC and Hague.
Rosindell, a conservative who represents Romford and is a member of the
influential foreign affairs committee, sent in his written questions
─ called “notices” ─ on Tuesday, July 8.
Hague is mandated to formally respond to Rosindell’s questions in the
coming weeks on behalf of the British government. T
he questions, listed under “notices for written answer”, were published on
the website of the UK parliament. Rosindell’s queries relating to Boko
Haram, as listed, are:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he
will commission an inquiry into the international support network for Boko
Haram in Nigeria and Cameroon; and if he will make a statement. (Notice
no. 204402)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what
discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with
leading members of the Nigerian opposition party, the All Progressive
Congress; and if he will make a statement. (204401)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what
assessment he has made of the rise in Islamic terrorism in Nigeria.
(204387) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth
Affairs, what support his Department plans to offer to Nigeria in tackling
the threat of Boko Haram. (204388)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what
assessment he has made of links between Boko Haram and other Islamic
extremist groups in Africa. (204389)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he
will discuss with his counterpart in Cameroon the need for constructive
dialogue between that country and Nigeria in tackling Boko Haram; and if
he will make a statement. (204390)
Also at a recent meeting in parliament, led by Henry Jackson Society and
chaired by an MP, John Glen, who is a close adviser to Prime Minister
David Cameron, similar allegations were raised that key APC members are
supporters and financiers of Boko Haram “for ideological and political
means”.
The UK is now showing more than a passing interest in the Boko Haram
threat after the kidnap of hundreds of schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State,
in April. Hague, at an international summit on rape in warzones held in
London in June, reaffirmed the UK’s “strong and united commitment to
defeat Boko Haram [and] to end the scourge of terrorism in Nigeria”.
President Goodluck Jonathan recently launched the Safe School Initiative
with the support of the British government. Although Jonathan has not
directly accused APC of having links with Boko Haram, the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) to which he belongs has constantly tied the
opposition to the insurgents.
Recently, an APC member, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, defected to the PDP,
accusing some top members of the opposition party of having sympathy for
Boko Haram.
APC has consistently denied these allegations and accused the presidency
and PDP of playing politics with national security.
TheCable