Respected Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Gumi has cautioned President Muhammad Buhari on the dire consequences of adopting a military approach in dealing with the return of insurgency to the creeks of the Niger Delta.
In an interview with Ibraheem Musa of the New Telegraph newspaper, Gumi said that Buhari would have to swallow his pride as a military man and create a Government of National Unity and dialogue with anyone the Niger Delta put forward as their representative, even if such a person is Government Tompolo.
Here are excerpts from the interview:
First, the government imports fuel for domestic use. Second, the foreign exchange to finance this importation is dwindling. Even though the refineries are working, the supply of crude oil is being disrupted because the militants are blowing up pipelines. Why are they doing so? Because they feel alienated, that they are not part of the government. So, you can see the domino effect that I have earlier mentioned.
Are you in any way advocating that the Federal Government should negotiate with the militants?
The government should have formed a Government of National Unity right from the beginning. For example, tell the South-East to bring whoever they trust to represent them in the government. The South-West brought Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as running mate; he was not the choice of Buhari.
The same way that you did with South-West do with the South- South and South-East. This is what I mean by Government of National Unity because if the militants believe that they are represented well in the government, they will allow the oil to flow.
If the crude oil flows, our refineries will work. The President needs to listen; he can’t afford to be adamant anymore. He should listen to knowledgeable individuals and not sycophants who supported him. Nigeria is for everybody. It is not for any single political party or the President.
If I understand your analysis, are you opposed to the orders given by the President to the military to deal with the militants who blow up pipelines?
How can they deal with the militants in the first place, when they are holding the nation’s umbilical cord? You are fighting Boko Haram in the North, and you want to fight the militants in the creeks. You don’t fight on two fronts at the same time. That was one of the reasons why Adolf Hitler failed in the Second World War. The government should sit down with them and ask them the reasons for their agitation.
Don’t forget; they were embittered that their man Goodluck Jonathan was defeated. Their argument now is, ‘if you hate our man, then leave our oil.’ No section of the country has the solution of Nigeria’s problem.
So, everybody should be brought on board. Even if the South-South brings Government Tompolo as their man, we should accept him, so long as they trust him; so that we will have stability.
A military solution is not the best option in this circumstance. Former President Umaru Yar’adua could swallow his pride as president and negotiate with the militants. Jonathan also did it. But a military man cannot do it because it will hurt his ego. But if he doesn’t do it, he will kill the nation.