Recently during the Nigerian Bar
Association NBA Conference in Port Harcourt the Rivers state capital, the
attorney general of Borno state Kaka Shehu Lawan had called on security
agencies to arrest the former governor of the state and present Chairman of the
Peoples Democratic Party PDP Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff for creating the terror
group called Boko Haram. Such allegation which is not the first of its kind by
political detractors of Sheriff would have been allowed to pass but for the
fact that Mr. Kaka had made his allegation to look like the official position
of the State government and that he had chosen an august occasion such as the
gathering of lawyers to make such allegation made the call more grievous. The
position of the Chief Law officer of Borno state also attracted attention of
the Nigerian people because he had also made it look like he was on a mission
to impress his host the governor of Rivers state who a week earlier suffered
disappointment in his bid to host the PDP convention in the state as a result
of the court ruling which Sheriff secured at an Abuja High Court.
Mr. Kaka Lawan in his desperation
to rubbish a distinguished and accomplished personality like Ali Modu Sheriff
tried to twist the facts on ground by attempting to make people believe that
Ali Modu Sheriff founded Boko Haram and should be prosecuted for founding the
group but what he failed to understand was that Nigerians have gone above
accepting such lies hook line and sinker without thinking twice. In the year
2002 while Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff was in the Senate, Abubakar Yusuf founded the
terror group then as a religious group. A lot of persons from Borno even down
to Yobe state looked up to Yusuf as a promising cleric from the north east and
did patronize him. Most of them including Sheriff came in contact with them
based on the knowledge that it was an Islamic group that had no agenda for
violence or terror but to preach the message of Allah. When as governor of the
state Ali Modu Sheriff discovered the agenda of the group, he did not hesitate
to distance himself from the group leading to strong hatred for the governor.
His angst against them and its leadership was evident in the way Sheriff
ensured that they were arrested. If he had done all this how then can someone
of the status of the Attorney General of the state come out openly to state
that Sheriff founded and nurtured the group if not for the sake of mischief and
proclivity for mendacity?
One thing I have discovered about
the governor of the state and its officials is that they have allowed
themselves to be swallowed by the quest to spread propaganda. The present
governor of the state served under Sheriff before becoming governor. As
Commissioner then why did he not raise alarm that Sheriff was raising a terror
group? Why is it that these so called allegations that Sheriff founded and
nurtured Boko Haram only started making headlines after his decision to abandon
the All Progressives Congress APC?
If there is anybody that has
suffered in the hands of the terror group then Sheriff is the greatest victim.
He has lost very close relatives and investments due to attacks from the group.
His life is also perpetually under threat because the group sees him as their
enemy. The Borno state government on the other hand has benefited from the
activities of the terror group. It is a known fact that the governor only got
the nomination of the ANPP then after the death of the nominated flag bearer of
the party Modu Fanami Gubio. The governor has also been alleged to have private
discussions with the leader of the Boko Haram at the government House Maiduguri
among other allegations against him.
Like I earlier stated, political
detractors of the PDP Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff have vowed not to rest until
they pull him down but considering the stature of the man Ali Modu Sheriff,
there is nothing they can do that will bring him down. He has selflessly
contributed so much to the political and economic development of this country
which most of his detractors cannot boast of doing. Barr. Kaka Lawan whose
ascension to the office is suspect considering some question marks about the
death of the previous occupier of the
office should learn to think before acting and not to act before thinking
because that is what his spurious allegation looks like. Instead of focusing on
how to address the plight of those at IDP camps and the sleaze that has
pervaded the feeding of campers he is busy trying to cause distractions and
blaming others. Which security agency has indicted the former governor of the
state? Where did he get his report from or is he trying to foist beer parlour
talk on an intelligent gathering of lawyers? It is good that the Senior
assistant to the PDP chairman has requested that he retract his statement I
will not be surprised if they fail to heed the call because of vain pride but
what most people do believe is that he goofed at the Port Harcourt Conference
and such impish acts does not dignify him rather it shows how desperation can
drive even the sanest of minds to act irrationally.
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