THE Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), has commended President Goodluck Jonathan's courage in admitting that terrorism is the real threat to the country's corporate existence.
ARG, therefore, challenged him to demonstrate courage and determination by applying the most potent solution of convening a national conference of the country's ethnic nationalities, which had long been canvassed by most people and groups to address this threat.
ARG National Chairman, Mr. Olawale Oshun, said at a press conference on the state of the nation on Monday in Lagos, however, disagreed with President Jonathan's chosen solution of using maximum force in crushing Boko Haram.
Oshun emphatically declared ARG's abhorrence of violence including that being perpetrated by Boko Haram. It urged those in authority to see the message contained in the sect's demand, which according it, that they be allowed to conduct their affairs in the ways that were peculiar to them.
The group noted that all the social upheavals in the country, including the Boko Haram insurgency, were symptoms of mass discontent and examples of incidents that were threatening the corporate existence of the country, which must be swiftly addressed.
"Boko Haram is saying something, albeit in a manner that may not be acceptable to us. But the import of their message is clear. They would like to have their society be organised and administered in a particular manner, probably, different from us in Yoruba-land, or from Igbo, or Tivs… It is only when we have given everyone a voice in conducting their own affairs that we can truly have peace. Any other thing is playing the ostrich and postponing the evil day for this country. Or must we wait until when the rest of us begin to carry guns or resort to violence before we listen to the discordant funds…"
The Afenifere leader, while expressing worries that those in authority were progressively working towards the fulfillment of the 2015 doomsday prophecy on Nigeria, pleaded with Jonathan to steer away the country's from heading towards this doomsday by listening more to the people and applying the most potent solution.
Oshun expressed the group's concern on kidnapping where according to him, Nigeria is now ranked the headquarters of kidnapping in the world, having accounted for 25 of kidnapping cases and ransom payment in the worlds.
"…the African Insurance Organisation (AIO), a non-governmental recognised by many government has said that Nigeria accounts for a quarter of kidnap-for-ransom cases reported worldwide in the last one year. The AIO disclosed in a recent newsletter… that Nigeria had been designated as the global capital for kidnap-for-ransom due to the huge records of kidnap cases in the country yearly…"
