It came with great relief, reading the Press
Statement by the Borno Elders Forum,
demanding an apology from ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan “over the death of Borno
State residents” during the various Boko Haram
attacks under his administration. I was relieved
because the first thing that came to my mind
was that finally, the war against Boko Haram
was over. The bombings were over, there would
be no more death of innocent residents of Borno
State. The federal government had been able to
either arrive at a ceasefire or perhaps, that the
blood suckers have been totally subdued, and it
is time for stocktaking.
The Borno Elders hinged their position on the fact
that the government of President Jonathan did not
take seriously, the warning of Governor Kashim
Shettima of Borno State sometime in 2014, that the
Nigerian military lacked the required military
equipment to tackle the insurgents. The Borno
Elders consequently demanded for a judicial enquiry
on why or how President Jonathan exposed their
sons and daughters to such terrorist harm. If his
regime is found negligent, could be charged for
genocide. The group also demanded compensation
for relations of those that died during the reign of
Boko Haram and an unreserved apology from the
ex-President and his service chiefs.
I would agree with the Borno Elders on their
demands, in fact, I do not see anything wrong with
an apology. But the point is, who is going to
apologise to the victims and families of the Suleja
Christmas Day Bomb blast of 2011? who will
apologise to the victims and families of the UN
House Bomb blast in Abuja of August 2011? who will
apologise for the hundreds that were killed in the
Nyanya double bomb blasts of April and May 2014?
The Borno Elders inattentively refused to tell us who
would apologise for the numerous bomb blast that
took place in Kano and had claimed hundreds of
lives. My people, who would be apologizing for
hundreds of lives slain, burnt, shot by rampaging
Fulani Herdsmen in the Hills of Plateau and beyond
in North Central Nigeria? Will President Buhari
apologise and face war crimes for over 500
Nigerians killed by Boko Haram since May 29th
2015?
A further look into the Nigerian rear view mirror
reveals lots of apologies still waiting to be rendered.
In 1999, for instance, then President Olusegun
Obasanjo set up the Oputa Panel modelled after the
South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
This Commission was meant to heal the wounds of
the nation after the end of the brutal dictatorship
that lasted well over 15 years with the death of
General Sanni Abacha in 1998.The Oputa Panel was
treated with disdain, and Generals Buhari and
Ibrahim Babangida scorned their invitations to
appear in that Panel. The report was eventually
suppressed by General Babangida through the
Courts. The rest was confined to the dustbin of
history. Who now will apologise to the Ogoni people
for the genocide carried out against them – the
brutal rape of their wives, mothers and daughters by
a rampaging Army.
Nigerians are still waiting for an apology over the
brutal killing of Youth Corpers and well over 800
innocent Nigerians, mostly of Southern extraction by
the rampaging mob instigated to violence after
General Mohammed Buhari lost the Presidential
election in 2011. Till date, not a single word has
come from Buhari, acknowledging the evil that took
place in the desperate pursuit for political power.
Who is going to apologise for those souls whose
deaths were avoidable.
What is however very noticeable in the press
statement is the usual morbid silence by the Bornu
and Northern Elders in the condemnation of the
hydra headed monster that Boko Haram has
become. The Bornu Elders lacked the guts to
demand an apology from Boko Haram over the
thousands of innocent lives that have been maimed,
slaughtered and bombed since the insurgency took a
monstrous dimension in 2009. What we have seen in
the past are songs of solidarity coming from very
unusual and scary elders of Northern Nigeria.
For example, while speaking on a Liberty Radio
Programme in June 2013, President Mohammed
Buhari had asked President Goodluck Jonathan to
stop the clampdown on Boko Haram insurgents,
saying the Niger Delta militants were never killed
nor had their properties destroyed. According to
Buhari, “what is responsible for the security
situation in the country is caused by the activities of
Niger Delta militants. Every Nigerian that is familiar
with what is happening knows this. The Niger Delta
Militants started it all”.
In Buhari’s words, The Boko Haram insurgency is the
Northern response at grabbing power. Even now he
is fully settled in Aso Rock, is it not time for him to
call his “misguided brothers” to order? Is it not clear
that President Buhari needs to apologise to all
Nigerians for providing the platform that inspired
and instigated the most deadly terrorist organisation
in Africa, currently threatening to displace ISIS as
the world’s number one terror group?
In that same interview, General Buhari went out of
his way to make a case for Boko, and rationalise the
mayhem they had been unleashing on Nigerians. He
continued “you see in the case of the Niger Delta
militants, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua
sent an aeroplane to bring them, he sat down with
them and discussed with them, they were cajoled
and they were given money and granted amnesty.
They were trained in some skills and given
employment, but the ones in the North were being
killed and their houses were being demolished.” One
could only imagine how many suicide bombers were
inspired by Buhari’s statement. But Buhari’s
message was clear, and now as the president, he
could as well send an airplane to Maiduguri, bring
them to Aso Rock, sit down with them, cajole them,
give them money and grant them amnesty.
Nigerians simply cannot wait to see this carnage
come to an end since its aim has been established.
It is however most uncharitable to compare the
terror of Boko Haram to the agitation of the Niger
Delta millitants.Those who distorted the Nigerian
state must apologise to Nigerians. The military
adventurists who threw Nigeria into an avoidable
civil war must apologise to all Nigerians. The
framers and drafters of the draconian Petroleum Act
of 1969 which took away the God-given resources of
the oil bearing states for the purpose of prosecuting
the civil war must apologise to the people of the
Niger Delta. The drafters of the 1979 Constitution
who deliberately refused to restore Nigeria to its
true federal state must apologise to all Nigerians. I
am sure every Nigerian deserves one form of
apology from the Nigerian state.
President Mohammed Buhari owes Nigerians an
apology by words and actions for the next four
years. He owes Nigeria an apology for siding with
and holding forth for the military junta of late
General Sanni Abacha. At the 10th anniversary of the
death of General Abacha in 2008, Buhari told the
whole world that Abacha never stole Nigeria’s
money. As at the last count, over $1.3 Billion
(Dollars) of Abacha’s loot have been recovered and
more to come. Yet, he would boldly talk about his
anti-corruption prospects. It is surely a Season of
Apologies.

Source: http://savinggracereporters.com/headline/borno-elder-season-of-apologies-by-oshiokpekhai-utu-orbih/

Op you are a fool. So you are blaming Nigeri for civil war?

And please are you telling me that Buhari sponsored the killings? For your information Buhari made a statement about the killings but was it really his fault?

These northern/Borno elders r selfish.

Let dem ctnue waiting 4 apology til thy kingdom come.

See wht sipping 2much kunu hv done 2 dia brain.

Bubu shld be summarizing his own apology by now.



Ndi ara !

@op you and your Borno elders can go perish in the lagoon. The idiots wants to put blame on GEJ for their stupidity. Useless idiotic old fools.

Enahi:
@op you and your Borno elders can go perish in the lagoon. The idiots wants to put blame on GEJ for their stupidity. Useless idiotic old fools.

Slow down there useless piece of garbage. You are a bastard for saying such about my people.

Gej is the right id!ot to blame because he refised to arm the military men and instead he used the money to buy mansions and fund his political party

abduljabbar4:

Slow down there useless piece of garbage. You are a bastard for saying such about my people.

Gej is the right id!ot to blame because he refised to arm the military men and instead he used the money to buy mansions and fund his political party

your entire generation are the only piece of garbage we have here in Nigeria. You people weren't meant to be part of this Country idiot. Now go meet your slave masters aboki. If you quote me again trust me I will insult the hell out of you. And if your dumb skull ever think I will be deceived by your stupid tactics you got it wrong. GEJ that, GEJ this arent you fools tired because Nigerians are tired already.

Enahi:
your entire generation are the only piece of garbage we have here in Nigeria. You people weren't meant to be part of this Country idiot. Now go meet your slave masters aboki. If you quote me again trust me I will insult the hell out of you. And if your dumb skull ever think I will be deceived by your stupid tactics you got it wrong. GEJ that, GEJ this arent you fools tired because Nigerians are tired already.

You are the ones not meant to be part of this country if not why do you seek for freedom? Useless animals. You are an animalistic rock-hard stup!d waste of sperm. Useless girl. Which Nigerians? The last time i checked even those who didnt vote PMB in the south south are already regretting it. Go and check nairaland fp. Keep hating while we keep ruling. God bless the North and the Southwest

I agree with the writeup.

abduljabbar4:

Slow down there useless piece of garbage. You are a bastard for saying such about my people.

Gej is the right id!ot to blame because he refised to arm the military men and instead he used the money to buy mansions and fund his political party

You are a product of a leaking condom.

sunnyb0b0:


You are a product of a leaking condom.

And you are a product of a child factory. Your sister was arrested today this morning

abduljabbar4:

And you are a product of a child factory. Your sister was arrested today this morning

This is what you get when contraceptives fail.

abduljabbar4:

You are the ones not meant to be part of this country if not why do you seek for freedom? Useless animals. You are an animalistic rock-hard stup!d waste of sperm. Useless girl. Which Nigerians? The last time i checked even those who didnt vote PMB in the south south are already regretting it. Go and check nairaland fp. Keep hating while we keep ruling. God bless the North and the Southwest

I told you cow not to quote me, who is seeking freedom you daft son of a begger. I am from the South South you dimwit, ha I told you not to quote me you t w a t. I am not your type punck, now move on before I kill you with insults.

Enahi:
I told you cow not to quote me, who is seeking freedom you daft son of a begger. I am from the South South you dimwit, ha I told you not to quote me you t w a t. I am not your type punck, now move on before I kill you with insults.

I want those insults sweet heart. Im waiting