JNI cautions ex-militants, others against violence

• Rights groups laud PDP over threats by Tompolo, Asari- Dokubo, others  

THE apex Islamic organ in the North, Jamaatul Nasril Islam (JNI) under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, has urged former Niger Delta militants, including Tompolo and Asari Dokubo to desist from heating up the polity ahead of the forthcoming polls.

  The Islamic body also advised religious leaders across the country to preach peace and unity in order to avoid crisis during the polls. 

  In a related development, a human rights group, Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged, (Centrep) has commended the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for distancing itself from the war threats issued recently by some ex-militants 

  The founder of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, (NDPVF), Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo and Victor Ebikabowei Ben, alias General Boyloaf recently threatened to go to war should President Goodluck Jonathan be attacked again in the North or should he lose this month’s polls.

 The JNI said that the need why Christian clerics in particular should engage in preaching peace not war arose, because it had always been the case that not only in Nigeria but in all democratic societies in the world, seasons of general elections are usually fraught with anxieties, uncertainties and even tensions.

  The Secretary General of the JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu said at a news conference in Kaduna yesterday that it was apparent the elections in the next two weeks would be the most keenly contested in the history of our country.

  He said: “While all these situations keep growing each day that comes to pass, the political atmosphere increasingly gets charged. With clashes between rival political supporters and thugs occurring at one place or the other, a state of fear of drifting to wide spread violence as witnessed in 2011 is already setting in.

  For instance, the JNI scribe argued that a renowned Christian cleric was reported to have made a lot of inciting hate speeches recently, while Tompolo and Asari Dokubo were not left out in the campaign for war if President Goodluck Jonathan fails to win the presidency, saying, “this is just to mention but a few.”

  He remarked that in view of this worrisome situation, all stakeholders both locally and internationally had been preoccupied with the search for ways of mitigating violence before, during and after the elections.

  “The JNI, therefore, finds it necessary to discharge what it believes is an obligation upon itself; that is, to call on all Nigerians to shun violence in any way, in any form and at all phases of the elections and its aftermath.”

  Aliyu explained that the Islamic body had been following with keen interest all the political activities and events going on in the country in recent times.

  “It is obvious that these activities and events seem to be so overwhelming, just as the pace at which they occur is as rapid as the passage of time itself. From the PVC distribution exercise and other preparations towards the elections to the political rallies and campaigns at different levels, there always emerged issues and incidents that generated excitements, concerns and even anxieties.”

  He added: “Against the backdrop of these happenings, the JNI feels obliged to comment at the present time with a view to calling on not only Muslims but the entire citizens of our great country to demonstrate real and genuine sense of patriotism, responsibility, tolerance and commitment to peace and stability in Nigeria, before, during and after the forthcoming elections.

  “As an important stakeholder in the elections, in the governance of the country and indeed because of its firm commitment to the country’s unity, stability and progress, the JNI believes that this call on the citizens for peace is essentially and genuinely both a religious and civic obligation.”

  The JNI also called on the prime actors – the INEC, the presidential candidates and contestants at all levels, as well as the political party leaders and officials, to do whatever it takes to avoid utterances and actions that portend or precipitate violence.

  “Similarly, the JNI calls on the INEC to keep to its duty with faith and sincerity to God and to the country by demonstrating real commitment to free, fair and credible elections. It is our firm belief that doing everything possible to forestall violence and save lives and property in the forthcoming elections is our collective obligation that we all have to discharge and we must, therefore, all stand up to do it faithfully and devoutly.”

  The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement recently condemned and distanced the party and Jonathan from the threats. 

  Executive Director of Centrep, Oghenejabor Ikimi, said that the statement by Metuh was a soothing balm capable of calming frayed nerves after the highly inflammable statements of the ex-militants.       

  He said: “Common sense indeed dictates that for President Jonathan to clinch the Presidential portfolio in the forthcoming elections he requires a broad spectrum of votes and the support of Nigerians from across the six geo-political zones of Southwest, Southeast, South south, Northwest, Northeast and North central as votes solely from the South south geo-political zone which the said ex- militants hailed from could not deliver the incumbent president in the election.
“Hence we call all supporters of the president in the Southsouth geo-political zone to quickly imbibe the culture of political tolerance and mutual respect for other Nigerians across the remaining geo-political zones at this point in time in order to win the respect, support and votes of all Nigerians for the president ahead of the elections.”
 Ikimi, therefore, called on the ex-militants to immediately retract their war threats to Nigerians and respect the recent Abuja Accord if they were Jonathan’s supporters who truly believed in his re-election project, as the incumbent president is a man of peace.