Danjuma tells Jonathan: This is civil war!

Former army chief Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma has told President Goodluck Jonathan that what Nigeria is currently fighting is not Boko Haram insurgency but “a civil war”.

He spoke after the inauguration of the Victims Support Fund Committee by the president on Wednesday to compensate victims of terrorism.

Danjuma, who is heading the committee, initially joked that they would not go to Sambisa forest ─ where the militants are believed to be camped ─ but asked the commander-in-chief to lead them and “we will follow”.

He then said: “Seriously, this war must be brought to an end. We must win this war immediately. It is taking too long. I called it civil war when it began but people say it is insurgency. The insurgents appear to be having an upper hand at this very moment. They pick and choose where to strike.

“They are even holding positions and displacing us. We must win this war Mr. President, we must do so immediately. We will raise the funds, we will disburse it. I promise you we will do so diligently and transparently but we must win this war, Mr. President. May God bless our country.”

Jonathan had, in his address, expressed regrets that there was a need for a victims support committee in the first place.

He said: “This is not the kind of events we would normally pray for. As a developing nation with lofty dreams, I would rather be here inaugurating a committee on development initiatives.

“But this is the unfortunate situation where we have found ourselves because of the lawless acts of a few misguided individuals who are shedding the blood of innocent people in our nation.”

He asked Nigerians to give generously to the fund, saying: “Let me reiterate clearly that evil will never prevail over good… For those who take pleasure in seeing innocent human beings in pains, to see limbs being shattered and blood flowing in all direction after terror attacks, we say, you shall have no hiding place. Nigerians will expose you. The people of conscience around the world have rejected you.”

He called on Nigerians to support the war against terror.

“I call on all Nigerians to stand together in support of our security agencies against terrorism. They are working night and day under difficult circumstances. It is unfortunate that when our security personnel prevent 1000 attacks, it is the one attack that succeeds that makes headline news and tends to portray our security agencies as not doing enough.

“It is part of the realities we have to deal with. We owe Nigerians nothing but victory over terror. The life of every Nigerian is precious and we will continue to work round the clock to put an end to this insurgency.”

The committee’s terms of reference are as follows:

• to identify sources and ways of raising sustainable funding to support victims of terror activities;
• to develop appropriate strategies for the fund raising;
• to ascertain the persons, communities, facilities and economic assets affected by terror activities;
• to assess and determine the appropriate support required in each case;
• to manage, disburse and/or administer support to the victims as appropriate;
• to address related challenges as may be appropriate;
• to advise Government on other matter(s) necessary or incidental to support victims of terror activities.

Danjuma’s deputy is Mr. Fola Adeola, while Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, Mr. Cosmas Maduka and Mr. Jim Ovia are  members.

Other members are Alh. Mohammed Indimi, Alh. Abdulsamad I. Rabiu, Alh. Sani Dauda, Mr. Wale Tinubu, Alh. Sani Sidi, DG, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Air Vice Marshal Tony Omenyi (representing defence headquarters).

Others are CP Salisu Fagge, representing Nigerian Police Force, Mr. Sayana Yusuf, representing Department of State Services, Chief Uche Secondus, PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Alh. Tijani Tunsah, APC Deputy National Chairman (North), representative of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), representative of Jamaatul Nasril Islam (JNI) ‎and Mrs. Nkechi Mba, representing National Council of Women Societies.