B’Haram war worse than civil war, President insists

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday reiterated his position that the   Boko Haram insurgency was worse than the country’s civil war.

 

He said contrary to the case of the civil war where enemies and their territories were easily identified, insurgents   lived among the people.

 

Jonathan spoke while granting audience to a delegation of the College of Bishops of African Church led by the Primate, Most Rev. Emmanuel Udofia, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

 

He however reassured Nigerians that the activities of the sect would come to an end soon.

The President urged the clerics to continue to pray   for the country .

 

He said, “I have to thank you for your prayers because this country is facing challenges that we never expected. I always say it that apart from those of us from the then Eastern Region who witnessed the effect of the civil war, others   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. As a Biafran then 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 (trousers) pocket. So, it is a problem. But with your prayers ,God has been kind and whatever the enemy contemplates, he will never get there.”

 

The President, who recalled that in the past, the church and government were linked, regretted that in modern day, the separation of the two entities had led to moral issues in the society.

 

He expressed displeasure at the fact that moral and religious education   was   gradually taking the back seat when ordinarily ,it should be in the front row in national development.

 

Jonathan said how to mould and create a society that is conducive to the people to interact was more important than the physical infrastructure that are provided.

 

He assured that “the challenge of Boko Haram will surely come to an end because everything about terror is evil.”

 

The President added, “Terrorism represents negative forces on earth and in human history, negative forces only terrorise people for a while but the light always subdues them 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.”

 

Earlier, Udofia had accused some agents of being sympathetic to Boko Haram, which he described as “the most unfortunate affront to this present administration.”