Ahmad Salkida, the only Nigerian journalist to have gained unfettered access to Boko Haram at the start of the crisis in 2009, has expressed doubts over the ceasefire agreement between the federal government and Boko Haram announced on Friday.
Mike Omeri, coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC), announced on Friday that Boko Haram had agreed to cease fire and that the government would also do the same.
“Already the terrorists have announced a ceasefire in furtherance of their desire for peace. In this regard, the government of Nigeria has, in a similar vein, declared a ceasefire,” Omeri had said, adding that the government was facilitating negotiations with Boko Haram for the release of the abducted Chibok girls.
However, Salkida, who fled to the in the United Arab Emirates after threats to his lives owing to his familiarity with Boko Haram, remarked that it no surprise for war-weary Nigerians to receive any news that brings respite about insurgency without asking questions.
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“I guess Nigerians are tired and as such, any news that offers respite on this protracted war between Nigeria and Boko Haram is welcome,” he wrote on twitter.
“Sadly, anybody that dismisses such good news becomes Nigeria’s enemy. But the leadership of Boko Haram is said to be miffed that a nation of the profile and magnitude of Nigeria with a high level intelligent people is easily encased in deceit, and nobody seems to be asking tough questions.
“What is most worrying here is, government at the highest level and the intelligence formations in Nigeria have embraced this ‘good news’. This shows a lack of understanding of the reality that this is an ideology that can only be neutralised after long hard work, which is yet to start.
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“It also appears that the government is more interested in shadows and bubbles than in substance and clear-headed engagement with Boko Haram ideology.”
1 comments
Who said we are intelligent? We are not, QED! We’re only negatively intelligent, the intelligence of defrauding one-another (people) and calling it smartness. Or the act of making money (genuinely) to survive for now without thinking about the future of their children, in the case of future, the plan usually are for the children stomach and not the society the children will leave in and with. Nigerians are over 170 million people and could be ruled this way, I mean the way our leaders are leading us and amazing number pretend as if all is well without taking our destinies in our hands. Any country with up to 5 per cent intelligent citizens, their leaders won’t ride them as Nigerians are being trampled upon before and now. To quote you, you said “with high level intelligent people.” Nonsense! This is what you get from a people whose leader (and the kind of leadership you have shows the kind of people you are) said ” stealing is not corruption” and does not give a damn about not disclosing his assets for public scrutiny, and the timid citizen could not do anything simply because they are blinded by sentiments of religion and ethnicity. Religions you are not among it’s originator and the ethnic group you didn’t choose to belong.