Boko Haram: Jonathan should blame himself, says Obasanjo

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a fresh attack on President Goodluck Jonathan over the security challenge in the country.
He says the President should blame no one but himself if he cannot address the Boko Haram crisis.
Obasanjo, in an interview with the pan-African magazine, New African, accused Jonathan of mismanaging security issues engulfing the country.
“If the president is the chief security officer of the country and there is a security problem, where do you go for the solution? And if that solution is not coming from the chief security officer, who has everybody and can mobilise everybody inside and outside to get a solution, then he has the responsibility to solve the problem. And nobody else should be blamed but him,” he said in the latest of his public criticism of the President.
The Presidency had once hit back at Obasanjo after one of his serial criticism of Jonathan only for the former President to respond that no one could stop him from speaking his mind.
Obasanjo, who spoke to the magazine ahead of the launch of his foundation, said Jonathan was solely responsible for the deteriorating situation caused by Boko Haram.
The former President also responded to claims made by the Nigerian literary giant, Chinua Achebe, on the Nigerian civil war, particularly the alleged marginalisation of the Igbo in the aftermath of the war.
He said: ”Maybe he (Achebe) is making those remarks because he is not living in Nigeria. If he were living in Nigeria, when I was the president of this country, an Igbo lady was my Minister of Finance, and an Igbo man was the Governor of the Central Bank. An Igbo man was one of the military service chiefs. The permanent representative to the UN was also an Igbo person. What more do you want?
“For someone to say the civil war has not ended, 40 years after its conclusion, that person is living in the past.”
Obasanjo had said in Warri last November that the Jonathan Administration was soft on Boko Haram and should adopt the Odi approach which he (Obasanjo) used when he deployed the military to Odi, Bayelsa State, during his tenure after youths in the area killed soldiers that had been sent to keep the peace.
But in a CNN interview last month,Obasanjo appeared to have modified his position when he suggested that government was using excessive force against Boko Haram
President Jonathan’s spokesman, Dr.Reuben Abati, did not take kindly to this and called Obasanjo a confused man.
Abati in four tweets said:: “In November 2012 in Warri, former President. Obasanjo accused the federal government of being soft on Boko Haram. He recommended the Odi solution: genocide..
“In Jan.2013, OBJ tells CNN goverment should adopt a carrot and stick approach to Boko Haram. Genocide and dialogue? Where exactly does he stand?
“OBJ’s position on Boko Haram= Contradiction and Confusion writ large.
“One report says OBJ is recommending a multifaceted approach to Boko Haram. This government certainly doesn’t need a lecture on that!
“Jonathan administration has shown creativity and purposefulness in handling the Boko Haram challenge. Hence, the progress we witness.”
Meanwhile, there were indications last night that the manhunt for Boko Haram leaders has shifted to Bama in Borno State.
It was gathered that security agencies got intelligence report that some of the wounded leaders were being treated in Bama, a stronghold of the sect with many deadly cells.
A top source said: “We have got intelligence tip-off that some of the leaders of Boko Haram, who were declared wanted, are being holed up in Bama.
“We also learnt that a few wounded ones are also being treated in that town. We are on the trail of the sect leaders.
“From what has happened in the last few days, the leaders of the sect are not prepared for ceasefire. We had this suspicion right from the outset. We have never relaxed for a day.”
The Joint Task Force had in November 2012 placed a N290m ransom for anyone who could help to locate the leader of the sect, Imam Abubakar Shekau and 18 other leaders.
On the JTF list are five members of the Shurra Committee (the highest making body of the sect) and 19 Boko Haram commanders.
Those affected are five members of the Shurra Committee of the sect including, Imam Abubakar Shekau (N50 million); Habibu Yusuf a.k.a Asalafi (N25 million); Khalid Albarnawai (N25 million); Momodu Bama (N25 million) and Mohammed Zangina (N25 million)
The Boko Haram Commanders are Abu Saad (N10 million); Abba Kaka (N10 million); Abdulmalik Bama (N10 million) Umar Fulata (N10 million); Alhaji Mustapha (Massa) Ibrahim (N10 million); Abubakar Suleiman-Habu (a.k.a Khalid) N10 million; Hassan Jazair N10 million; Ali Jalingo (N10 million); Alhaji Musa Modu (N10 million); Bashir Aketa (N10 million); Abba Goroma (N10 million); Ibrahim Bashir (N10 million); Abubakar Zakariya (N10 million); and Tukur Ahmed Mohammed (N10 million).