Oritsejafor Speaks- Amnesty For Boko Haram Is Wickedness.

Planned amnesty is wickedness - Oritsejafor The President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has said it will be an act of wickedness, if President Goodluck Jonathan declares amnesty for Boko Haram. Oritsejafor said the pardon could only be granted when members of the sect admitted their wrongdoings. He queried what would be the fate of the victims of the sect’s insurgencies, should its members be allowed to escape prosecution. While addressing journalists at the 80th birthday ceremony of the President, Apostolic Church of Nigeria, Pastor Gabriel Oladele Olutola, in Lagos, the CAN president warned that Jonathan should not toy with the future of Nigeria by trading off its security on the altar of politics. He said, “I don’t know his ambition for second term because I am not a politician; I am a pastor. But that (amnesty) would be wicked. I don’t see why he would have to do that and I don’t see why he would have to consider that because we are facing a very serious situation in Nigeria. “Let us not turn this situation into politics. Let’s face it for what it is. The security of the people is the number one responsibility of the President. And I think at this point, Jonathan must wake up and just face it and do what he has to do. But these people who are putting pressure on him left and right, may God help them and deliver Nigeria from their hands. Nigeria I believe would be safe.” He said the claim that poverty was the cause of the insurgency was not true. He queried where the sect got funds to acquire weapons and why it attacked churches and schools. He added that those who made the claim might have connections with the sect. He argued that the insurgency should not be likened to Niger Delta militancy. According to him, the Niger Delta militants fought for their neglect and survival. He added that their leaders came to the public to make their grievances known. “The reality is that you cannot equate those two instances. How many mosques were burnt in Warri or Port Harcourt? Can you tell me one? Young boys didn’t come on the streets to start shooting and killing people in the market. I’m from Warri, the Central Mosque is in the centre of our town. It has been there all these years. Nobody touched it.” He said northern leaders should have emulated South-South leaders by identifying leaders of the sect and leading them to Jonathan to seek amnesty. He said the amnesty, if declared, would be like putting the cart before the horse. The CAN boss carpeted Sheikh Abubakar Gumi over his Facebook comment on Jesus Christ. He called on the government to call the Islamic scholar and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nasir El-Rufai, to order over their alleged incitements. Gumi had reportedly said in the post that Jesus did not die after his crucifixion but only went into coma. http://news2.onlinenigeria.com/latest-addition/270067-planned-amnesty-is-wickedness-oritsejafor.html?utm_medium=facebook Footnotes: In as much as I do not like the person of Ayo Oritsejafor, I think I agree with him on this. Granting amnesty to Boko haram is like an arm-twisting; it's like the government is opening her arms and gladly embracing terrorism. It would mean in essence that GEJ is trading the lives of Nigerians for politics. Boko haram members are thus the victors in this case since they have been pardoned after comiting heinous acts against the country. Soonest, other groups will emerge and make outrageous demands knowing the FG will eventually succumb to their demands. Its not easy to have a clueless one as president.

I am not all out to condemn the move made by FG on the amnesty scheme for Boko haram, but then, whatever it is that can bring peace and lasting stability to the nation is welcome. Let's be sincere with ourselves, Nigeria lacks the needed tools (call it intelligence or technology) to effectively combat Boko haram, not now. This incapability makes it difficult to come up with a much sane and acceptable medium to put an end to the incessant killings.

Amnesty before dialogue is a direct declaration of weakness.its equally 'putting the cart before the horse'. I believe in peaceful resolution to boko haram crisis as well as doing it stepwise. Boko haram should be identified and they should engage govt in dialogue for amnesty to be declared.if this is not done that way,i doubt the possibility of solving the boko haram problem and the perception it will elicit to an average nigerian.There are about two factions of boko haram and if govt fail to identify the group that want to dialogue,it may end up giving amnesty to one group while the other continue the campaign of massive destruction of christians and nigerians.