Boko Haram In Jonathan’s Govt?

Leadership

17 January 2012

Boko Haram In Jonathan’s Govt?

Editorial

President Goodluck Jonathan, last Sunday, declared that membership of the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram, pervades the democratic tripod of the executive, legislature and the judiciary, as well as all the arms of the nation’s security agencies.

Jonathan, who spoke at an Inter-denominational service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, to mark the 2012 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration, also stated that in climes where similar threats were successfully handled, it was done through the contributions of all citizens. In a dramatic, if sobering summary, he said, “That is how complex the situation is. Our security services are trying because as the president, I know what they are doing. Nigerians may not appreciate their efforts especially when you know that we are under-policed. We have a police force that is about 300,000 in number.”

The presidential declaration throws up several puzzles and encourages speculative interpretations, which may not serve the best interest of governance, even in the face of the multiplicity of extant challenges. For one, it calls into question the critical issue of competent and appropriate presidential communication with the necessary focus on whom his minders are.