Jonathan Used Confab To Divert Attention From Elections, Says NSCIA Scribe

The Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has said Nigeria is in trouble and pleaded with citizens to ensure that they elect competent people to rule over them as they go to the polls next month.

Oloyede, who expressed this view in an interview on Radio Kwara, pointed out that it was clear that the federal government merely used the recent National Conference to divert the nation’s attention from the upcoming elections.

He also said there is every reason to believe that there is a conspiracy theory behind the Boko Haram insurgency.

The NSCIA scribe recalled that some northern traditional rulers had raised the alarm over the activities of unidentified helicopters that were sighted dropping arms and ammunition for the insurgents.

Nigerians, according to him, will soon realise that some of those berating Boko Haram are the masterminds behind the sect’s activities.

He also spoke on Nigeria’s decision to abstain from the United Nations Security Council vote that would have recognized the independence of Palestine, saying the action justified the assumption in some quarters that the present federal government is clueless.

Oloyede, who is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said: “Right from the word go, I think we knew the National Conference was a joke and we said so. We knew we were going for a jamboree.

“In a letter we wrote to Mr. President, we said this thing (National Conference) is too close to election, you will not have the opportunity, the chance and the time to implement any decision before the election.

“We said:  why don’t you face the election? The time wasted was to divide attention from preparation for the election. And now we are talking about election in February and nothing is on ground when you have wasted four months and resources you could have expended on that.

“And recently Mr. President said it was a Yoruba-inspired conference. It is so clear that the Presidency of Nigeria is so weak that a group can manipulate it and at the end of the day, the President said I have conflicting advice coming from different people. That is why you were elected to iron out conflicting advice.

“I think the issue is that we are in trouble. May God save this nation”.

On Boko Haram insurgency, Oloyede said: “I see so many hands in it. If you like, call it conspiracy theory. If the government had taken the matter serious, it would have addressed it.

“I have spoken to so many traditional rulers in the North who can tell you that they had with their unclad eyes seen helicopters dropping food and ammunition for these Boko Haram insurgents. And they are people you cannot doubt. And what they will tell you is that why didn’t you take their photographs?

“We will soon know that those who are shouting against Boko Haram are the perpetrators. We have spoken, we have lamented, let all Nigerians continue to pray to expose those behind Boko Haram”.

On the nation’s abstention from voting on Palestine, the NSCIA scribe said it was a sad development.

He added: “I feel very sad and I believe all those who have conscience all over the world should condemn the Federal Government for this stupid decision.

“The implication is that Nigeria has identified with the oppressors. Nigeria has said that what is going on is okay. Nigeria has endorsed the killing of innocent souls in Palestine. Nigeria has said there is nothing bad, it has said might is right; that is the position. I do not know what Nigeria can do to reverse that situation because the dent is already there.

“That is why it is important for people to have competent people ruling them. A person that is not competent can do a permanent damage to a nation. And that is exactly what has happened.

“To me, I just believe that if there is anybody who is in doubt about the fact that this government has lost all sense of decency, this event had proven that. This even had proven that you are clueless, you don’t even have simple principle of international diplomacy, you cannot be counted.

“Of course, America will not because of that take you serious, Britain knows why you are doing that is because you want to do many things under the carpet. Israel also knows that you are just follow-follow. They would just make a mockery of us as a nation because if we are really sensible, we would not have taken that position”.