Gowon to Boko Haram: Embrace dialogue or …

BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN — FORMER Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) has said the Islamic sect,  Boko Haram, should either embrace dialogue or be ready to contend with the fire power of the security forces. The former head of state also urged all Nigerians to be prayerful so that the menace of the sect could be solved

He said this just as he dismissed the impression of some Nigerians that the Federal Government and the security agencies were too lackadaisical about the nagging menace of the sect.

From left: Mr Moses Alake Adeyemo, Deputy Governor, Oyo State; Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), chairman of the Occasion and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State at the 2012 Oyo State Education Summit, in Ibadan, yesterday. Photo: Dare Fasube.

The ex-Nigerian leader said this shortly after the opening ceremony of Education Summit organised by Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led government.

He said the option open to Boko Haram “is to either embrace dialogue or it will be fire-for-fire. But,  I urge Nigerians to engage in prayers in order to solve the problem, because there is no problem that cannot be solved by prayers.”

Gowon said a lot of things had been done by the Federal Government to curb the excesses of the sect. He called on Nigerians to give government more time and be patient so that the problem could be overcome.

He noted: “When you look at the act of terrorism across the world, it is never an adhoc issue because of the issues involved and that is why we should not assume that the government is not doing enough, the government is really working.

“This is the time to put into practice our intelligence unit. The menace cannot be allowed to go on unabated, the security has a lot to do in that regard.”