How To Stop Boko Haram, by Obasanjo, Soyinka.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka yesterday spoke on how to tackle the insecurity created in the North by the Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Haram.
A military Task Force is battling the group, which has been shooting at security operatives, especially policemen, and civilians at drinking parlours.

Soyinka, who described the Boko Haram menace as a collective threat to the country, said: "There are two issues to be tackled. The first one is soci-economic and the second is security. Neither side should be downplayed for the other. Right now, the pre-eminent is security. The intelligence must wake up to its responsibilities and reduce drastically, if not eradicate, this threat to all of us altogether. Then, the socio-economic issue should be addressed."
Soyinka spoke at the Ikeja, Lagos home of the late Bashorun Moshood Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections. It was at the wreath laying marking the 13th anniversary of Abiola's death in the custody of the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar military government.

Obasanjo spoke at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta after receiving the award of the Grand Peace Legend given by the African Peace Foundation (APF).
The former President said unless the sponsors of the militant Islamic sect are unmasked, the Federal Government's efforts at addressing the killings being perpetrated by the group would amount to nothing.
Besides unmasking the sponsors, Obasanjo said the government should seek up- to- date and adequate intelligence on the activities of the sect for a result-oriented solution to the "risk" they pose to Nigerians.
"I believe a group of people acting strangely when they are not insane must have their reasons. I believe these people are not insane and so there must be reasons for their actions," Obasanjo said, adding:
"Even though you may not necessarily agree with their reasons, we must try and find out why they are doing what they are doing, those behind them both internally and externally.
"We must not take this for granted as the lives of majority of Nigerians are at risk. We need information to tackle the Boko Haram issue."
Obasanjo said: "There is so much to know and so much to find about them. If there is the need to deal with them through the stick-and-carrot approach, we must be able to know what should be the "stick" and what should be the "carrot".
Asked if amnesty should be extended to members of the sect, Obasanjo said he was not opposed to it, but warned against abusing the wisdom behind amnesty.
According to him, if amnesty must be granted, the beneficiary should be identified, the offence committed must be started and the necessity of the amnesty must be made clear.
APF President General Prof. Ola Makinwa lauded Obasanjo for his contribution to peace in Nigeria and in Africa.
Makinwa said the award was in appreciation of Obasanjo's role in making peace in Africa, adding that the former president had also been appointed by the Trustees of the Foundation as the Grand Patron of the African Peace Centre.
He said former South African President Nelson Mandela is the Grand Patron of the Foundation, but Obasanjo "stands for us in Africa as our hero and Grand father as Dr. Nelson Mandela is now aged and retired from public role".

Source:
Nation