President Goodluck Jonathan has likened the terrorism challenge in the country to the Nigerian civil war, describing it as even worse.
The president also noted that while the civil war had set the government fighting against a known rebel army demarcated by boundary, the Boko Haram is like an enemy within, in our “sokoto pockets.”
Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Abuja when he received a delegation of the Conference of Bishops of the African Church, led by Prelate Udofia, the president said, “I always say it that apart from those of us from the Eastern region who witnessed the effect of the civil war, people may have not witnessed this kind of insecurity in the country. In the North East, it is almost like a civil war, it is even more than the civil war because in a civil war you know the battle line, either a Biafran or Nigerian; you know where to run to. But this one you don’t even know where to run to because the enemies are in your ‘sokoto’ pocket.”
The president assured the delegation that Nigeria would overcome the Boko Haram scourge, saying that light must surely overcome darkness.
He urged the clerics to continue with their prayers for the country which have so far kept the country going and from being decimated by the terrorists.
“The challenge of Boko Haram will surely come to an end. I always say that everything about terror is evil. It represents negative forces on earth and in human history negative forces only terrorise people for a while but the light always subdues with time. The light will surely subdue the darkness of Boko Haram. The prayers of our religious men and women will surely bring this country out of the dark stages of our history”, he said.
The president, who lamented that moral and religious education in the country, was gradually taking the back burner, promised that his administration would continue to improve on the standard of living for Nigerians as part of efforts towards tackling the spread of terrorism.
In his remarks, Udofia posited that the Boko Haram challenge was most unfortunate seeing that the president’s approach to government was humane and all inclusive.
“This ordinarily should have been appreciated by Nigerians if these barbaric killings, maiming and destroying of innocent people and property have stopped.
“Since the dawn of these ugly and demonic attacks, you have been so magnanimous by applying the carrot and stick measure, yet the bombings have escalated but certainly not beyond God’s control.
“The religious connotations to all these insurgencies are most disturbing. To my mind, this is largely responsible for the continued spread and strength of these terrorist activities in the North Eastern part of Nigeria in particular,” said Udofia.
He also decried the fact that some security agents were supporting the terrorists and prayed that God would grant the president the wisdom to outsmart the insurgents and their sympathisers.
“Some of the security agents charged with the responsibilities of combating them are silently sympathetic to Boko Haram. Our hope to bring an end to Boko Haram lies in our God Almighty who is the Mighty Man in battle and ever present help of His people in times of trouble.
“Psalm 46 says He will fill you with His spirit of wisdom to overcome this menace in Jesus name. Amen”, he said.
