Tuesday, called for the arrest of the former Head of State and Presidential
candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, (CPC), General (rtd)
Muhammadu Buhari, following his frequent provocative statements.
The President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, in a statement signed by his
Media Assistant, Kenny Ashaka, and made available to Breeze Magazine in Abuja,
said that Buhari, having in various occasions justified the action of the
sect…, therefore, he stands a big security threat to the country’s corporate
existence.
Oritsejafor maintained that it was so unfortunate that when every Nigerian was
praying for successful military onslaught on the insurgence, Buhari rather than
sharing the same feeling with well-meaning Nigerians was busy indulging in
careless statements, without regards for victims of the sect’s violence who
were mostly Christians.
The statement read, “The retired General was widely reported by several
national newspaper Correspondents, who monitored the Liberty Radio programme
“Guest of the week”, to have questioned the “special treatment” given to the
Niger-Delta militants by the Federal Government while the Boko Haram members
were being killed and their houses destroyed by government.
some skills and were given employment, but the ones in the north were being
killed and their houses were being demolished. They are different issues. What
brought this? It is injustice”, the former Head of State was quoted to have
said.
“I cannot wish away the outburst of harshly critical statements, especially as
some of them are directly related to the defense of the Boko Haram sect whose
members have continued to kill, maim Christians and burn Churches. I feel the
pain inflicted on Christians living in the north is too deep for us in CAN to
ignore any unsavoury statement that tend to portray innocent Christians who
have been killed by the sect members as the aggressors.
“It is shocking that at a time well-meaning Nigerians are praying for the
success of our soldiers, Buhari, rather than reflect the mood of the nation in
his statements and conducts is indulging in careless statements without regards
for victims of the sect’s violence who are mostly Christians.
“I have, several times been vindicated that Boko Haram is not inspired by
pecuniary motives, the latest of which is the statement by Robert Fowler, the
released former United Nation’s envoy to Niger Republic who said in a BBC
programme, “Hard Talk”, aired on Tuesday, 4th of June, 2013, that his captors
never talked of poverty, but islamisation of Africa.
“Spent and defeated politicians with outburst of temper and elders like Buhari
who take delight in inflaming religious and ethnic passions should, therefore,
be arrested and made to explain some of the issues raised by them. This is why
I call for the arrest of Buhari now. Buhari is a big security risk to Nigeria’s
cooperate existence.
“It is laughable that Buhari, an ex-Head of State, a General in the Nigerian
Army who has served this country in different capacities would support
Islamists who are confronting those in his constituency who are fighting to
keep the nation from dismemberment. For Buhari who has led a Brigade of troops
in 1982 to repel invading Chadian troops from the same north-eastern borders of
Nigeria, the first major foreign invasion, to oppose a state of emergency when
some parts of Borno and Yobe States had been occupied and the Nigerian flag
replaced with theirs, burnt Churches, schools, government institutions, killed
innocent Christians, attacked traditional rulers and others not sympathetic to
their cause, speaks volume.
“The retired General’s sad commentary has not portrayed him as a national
leader. As a retired General, he should have known that fights against
terrorists are not mere child’s play. They are much more difficult than
conventional war which he fought in 1982. If Buhari is a national leader, he should
have been more concerned about the killings of innocent ones by the sect
members and the success of the troops and not that of terrorists as he has been
doing.
