Dr. Johnathan
Making specific mention of the unending killings in
Southern Kaduna , the former President also declared
that the solution to the Niger Delta crisis was already
included in the report of the 2014 National Conference ,
held in Abuja.
He contended that military action would not solve the
agitation in the region, stressing that it would create
secessionist groups in the region .
Jonathan, in his presentation to the United States House
Sub- Committee on Africa , on Wednesday, said failure to
apprehend culprits of previous religious killings had
emboldened those who engaged in such acts .
A copy of the presentation was made available to The
PUNCH on Thursday in Abuja by the former President ’ s
media aide , Ikechukwu Eze.
In his presentation , he grouped sensitive issues the
sub -committee invited him to speak on as ‘ Challenges
facing Nigerian Christians and the Niger Delta
Question’ .
Advising the Federal Government on religious killings
in the country , he said Nigeria could no longer ignore
conflicts going on in various parts of the country .
Jonathan added , “ If, as a nation, we do not kill religious
persecution and extremism , then religious persecution
and extremism will kill Nigeria .
“The potential danger associated with the level of
conflicts going on across the country is so glaring that
no sane mind can ignore .”
He noted that security agencies had a history of failing
to apprehend the culprits .
Jonathan stated , “Your invitation ( of the sub - committee )
letter profusely highlighted the issues of the killing of
Christians in Nigeria , the last major incident being the
recent killings in Southern Kaduna in Kaduna State ,
and I do not need to elaborate on that .
“The challenge is how we stop that from recurring . How
do we ensure that Christians and Muslims co -exist
peacefully in Nigeria and practise their religions freely
without discrimination , molestation and killings ?”
He stated that although there had been more than 10
major incidents of ethnic and religious violence in
Kaduna State since 1992 , only in one were the culprits
punished .
This, the former President said , was in Zango Kataf ,
when the Ibrahim Babangida administration sentenced
14 persons to death over the riot in the area .
Jonathan said he supported the recommendation of the
2014 National Conference that an Equity Commission be
created to handle religious crisis .
Quoting the report of the conference , he stated , “ In
view of the fact that religion plays a vital role in many
aspects of our national life , especially in the aspect of
national security and national unity, it is highly
imperative that it be singled out from other
fundamental rights and given a special attention via the
creation of an Equity Commission whose sole mandate
will be to focus on religious rights and their promotion.
“This is in line with best global practices as many
advanced democracies have special legal and
institutional arrangements for some very sensitive
aspects of their national life .”
Jonathan believed that the establishment of specialised
agencies, such as the equity commission, would not be
out of place , adding that they existed in countries such
as the United Kingdom and the United States.
The former President said that for example, in the UK
despite the existence of the UK Equal Opportunities
Commission, a Commission for Racial Equality ( created
by the Race Relations Act , 1976 ) existed alongside the
UK- EOC for many years.
He stated that despite the existence of the US State
Department Bureau of Democracy , Human Rights and
Labour, America had other special human rights
enforcement agencies to promote specific rights.
Jonathan stated , “ I totally agree with the 2014 National
Conference on the need to establish the Religious Equity
Commission that will have powers to arrest and
prosecute those who contravene the law . ”
He said his government established 12 federal
universities , nine of which were located in the North .
According to him , his administration set up 165
elementary and high schools in each of the 19 northern
states to combine Islamic education with western
education .
He explained that he personally visited the scene of the
bombing at St Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, where
Boko Haram killed 44 people on December 31, 2011 .
He recalled that he promised Nigerians that those
responsible for that heinous act would be brought to
book.
“That promise was fulfilled on December 20, 2013 , when
Kabiru Umar , aka Kabiru Sokoto , was sentenced to life
imprisonment after my administration investigated that
crime , identified him as the mastermind , arrested him
and diligently prosecuted him and some of his
associates , ” Jonathan added .
Defending his administration , he said , “ The point I
want to emphasise by citing these incidents is that my
administration had the political will to halt impunity in
Nigeria and that is why killings , due to religious
extremism , were localised in the North - East with
occasional killings in other zones of the North .
“The killings did not spread to the mainly Christian
south and I believe that the fight against impunity by
my administration was the main reason for this . ”
To end the ethnic and religious conflicts in Nigeria , he
stated, “ I recommend the establishment of the Religious
Equity Commission, enforcement of our laws without
fear or favour and maximum cooperation by all
Nigerians , especially our revered religious leaders and
clerics.”
Agitation in N ’Delta predated Nigeria ’s independence
Jonathan said the complaints and restiveness in the
Niger Delta were not unique to the region.
“The people in this region feel that though they suffer
from the environmental hazards of the exploitation of
the God given resources , they do not commensurately
benefit from the exploitation of these resources .”
According to him , the agitation predated Nigeria ’ s
existence in 1914 .
He recalled that oil palm produce ( palm oil and kernel )
was the major raw materials that fed the growth of the
Industrial Revolution in Europe , and they largely came
from the Niger Delta.
Jonathan said various tribal chiefs , such as King Jaja of
Opobo and Nana Olomu , resisted British exploitation of
these resources and were both arrested and deposed.
These punitive measures , he said , did not end the
agitations.
The former President added that with the discovery of
petroleum in the Niger Delta, similar agitations
surfaced .
These, he said , included the Niger Delta Republic ,
proclaimed by Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro on February 23,
1966.
Jonathan noted that the Federal Government had come
up with many interventionist initiatives to pacify the
Niger Delta .
These include the Oil Mineral Producing Areas
Development Commission, set up by the military
administration of Ibrahim Babangida and Niger Delta
Development Commission, established by the Olusegun
Obasanjo government.
He stated, “ The greatest stumbling block of these
interventionist agencies was lack of continuity,
resulting from an over politicisation of projects as each
successive management awards new contracts rather
than continue with those awarded by their predecessors
and as such , the Niger Delta is littered with many
abandoned projects with very few completed projects to
show for the huge monies spent . ”
He noted that the 13 per cent derivation introduced by
Obasanjo had benefited Niger Delta states and their
people more than the interventionist agencies.
Jonathan stated, “Those who knew Akwa Ibom State
before the 13 per cent derivation became law will agree
that the derivation fund has changed the face of that
state , making it almost overnight one of the most
developed states in Nigeria . The same is true with other
oil producing states though with varying degrees of
development.’’
‘Military crackdown can create secessionist groups in
N ’Delta ’
He suggested that the Federal Government should adopt
the recommendation of the 2014 conference on fiscal
federalism .
The former President stated , “ States should be allowed
to exploit their natural resources as they deem fit and
pay adequate taxes to the Federal Government. This is
also the position of the 2014 National Conference .”
Advising the Federal Government further on the Niger
Delta crises , he stated , “The military crackdown in the
Niger Delta will not end the agitation there .
“It will have the opposite effect of provoking the youth ,
which will cause them to seek to acquire sophisticated
weapons to defend themselves and their communities .
“This may, in turn , lead to secessionist movements and
the reincarnation of the Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro -led
revolution and the Biafra Civil War. The Federal
Government and the international community must
work to avoid this . ”
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