FORMER president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Tuesday, reviewed the
measures taken by President Goodluck Jonathan in addressing the problems
posed to his administration and the country by the Boko Haram
insurgency and submitted that the president “has been doing a bit of
job.”
Obasanjo, who spoke in an exclusive interview with
ZainZerjee on CNN International, suggested a carrot-and-stick approach
to tackling the threat posed by the insurgents.
The interview went thus:
CNN: What aspect of security have you chosen in your Foundation?
Obasanjo:
To improve human security where it is most needed in Africa. We have
chosen four areas which are very important: these are food and nutrition
security, education, particularly girl/child education, youth
empowerment and employment security and health issues. These are the key
areas we are focusing on.
CNN: Let us talk a little bit of
security in Nigeria and the group Boko Haram. Do they undermine the kind
of goals your foundation has?
Obasanjo: Boko Haram undermines
security and anything that undermines security, undermines development,
health, education, agriculture and food and nutrition security.
CNN: Do they have links with Al Qaeda or any other group?
Obasanjo:
About a year and half ago, I tried reaching out to them and I asked
their lawyer who was acting in proxy if they are acting on their own or
they have external supports. And he said to me, either Nigerians who
have resources abroad are supporting them or other organisations from
abroad are supporting them.
And if they had 25 per cent support,
today, that support is doubled. To deal with such group, you need
carrot-and-stick approach. “Carrot” is finding out what, how to reach
out to them and “Stick” is when you are trying to reach out to them,
those that are amenable to be reached out to, you have to use the stick
approach.
CNN: Do you think Goodluck Jonathan has been doing a good job with Boko Haram?
Obasanjo: Well, he has been doing a bit of job but it has to be a double track job.
CNN: What do you mean?
Obasanjo: He must have two tracks.
CNN: So he is using the stick approach?
Obasanjo: Yes, he is using the stick.
CNN: So you don’t think he is handling it correctly?
Obasanjo: I say that he is doing one aspect well; the other aspect must not be ignored.
CNN: Will Nigeria ever split into North and South?
Obasanjo:
No, no, I think Nigerians now know that it will cost us so much more to
break up than it will cost us to come together.
CNN: On DRC, can you tell us what Rwanda role is in it?
Obasanjo:
I would not believe that Rwanda is back in M23 but I believe that if
Democratic Republic of Congo put it own house in order, then no matter
how much Rwanda wants to put its dirty finger in to it, it will not
succeed much.” I don’t think the Rwandan government is directly
interfering with the M23 rebels but I can’t be sure that tribes on both
sides of the border aren’t involved with them.
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