Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said the sectarian violence rocking the country was worse than the civil war that killed over one million people during the 1960s.

"The situation we have in our hands is even worse than the civil war that we fought," Jonathan said at a church service. "During the civil war, we knew and we could even predict where the enemy was coming from. But the challenge we have today is more complicated."

The president also said that the Nigerian government included sympathizers with Islamist terror group Boko Haram.

"Some of the them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary arm of government, while some of them are even in the judiciary," he said. "Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies."

The country is divided between a largely Muslim north and a mainly Christian south
Jonathan's comments came just a day after he addressed the nation in a television speech appealing to the country to accept the economic reforms he is trying to push through.

"I feel the pain that you all feel," he said in his TV address. "I know that these are not easy times. But tough choices have to be made to safeguard the economy and our collective survival as a nation."

Part of the government's controversial austerity measures is the cancellation of fuel subsidies likely to double the price of fuel. The reforms have already lead to widespread protests and trade unions have announced a general strike for Monday.

Despite being Africa's biggest oil producer, most of Nigeria's population lives in poverty. The government says the austerity measures proposed are needed for investments in infrastructure, healthcare and education.

The country's economic hardship has also added to the rift between the largely Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south. As the north is poorer, radical Islamist group Boko Haram finds it increasingly easy to recruit young men to commit bloody sectarian violence.


Boko Haram has threatened more attacks on Christians
A series of bomb attacks on churches on Christmas Day killed more than 40 people and injured dozens of others.

Despite a state of emergency and curfews in the volatile north, the situation continues to worsen. Boko Haram has repeatedly warned Christians to leave the north and has backed up its threat with more violent attacks. As Christians are fleeing south, Muslims are moving north in fear of reprisal attacks.

Ayodele Oritsejafor, president of the Christan Association of Nigeria, has also likened the current violence to the 1960s civil war and described it as "ethnic and religious cleansing."

Author: Andreas Illmer (dpa, AFP)
Editor: Ben Knight

What should u do them, we need solutions not problems

And what is he gonna do about that?

kokoA:

And what is he gonna do about that?

Only talk!

Sounds a lot like the typical Government excuses. I wonder what else the Government is going to blame the terrorists for now.

The president also said that the Nigerian government included sympathizers with Islamist terror group Boko Haram.

"Some of the them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary arm of government, while some of them are even in the judiciary," he said. "Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies."

It is quite clear that boko haram has supporters in govt and the civil service and doubly encouraging to hear the President admit it.
I hope that these words are a precursor to wide ranging reforms in govt, secret sevice, civil service, police, customs and the army. Nigeria is on the sickbed.

Yawns

So Buhari is no longer guilty

Kobojunkie said:

Sounds a lot like the typical Government excuses. I wonder what else the Government is going to blame the terrorists for now.

   

Isn't it ironic that you position yourself as a female bodyguard for the US govt's machinations and deceptions, consistently railing against all who ''see conspiracies everywhere'' in the actions of such western govts, yet you're as quick as a rabbit to infer conspiracy in everything relating to the Nigerian govt?

Is it because you're a slave to the west?

The president also said that the Nigerian government included sympathizers with Islamist terror group Boko Haram.

"Some of the them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary arm of government, while some of them are even in the judiciary," he said. "Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies."

In order words;

"We don't have a solution at hand and neither do we expect to have one in the future, so relax in your houses and pray to whatever god you believe in that your door step becomes invisible to the now invincible forces of Boko Haram"

Ladies and gents, this is the fresh air you all voted for, the same man who spends billions of your money on security!. . .what a shame!

this bokoharam issue is slowly degenerating to a civil war, a 2 way war between the hausa/fulani 29percent of nigeria and ijaw/igbos 28 percent of nigeria population , we hope foreigners will back off and other tribes will be neutral and stop the hausa / fulani from using their region to launch war against the east

I commend the President for having the courage to be absolutely honest.

I do not need to gloat, but how long have I been discerning the fact that the State is Malfunctioning and has been compromised.

How can the majority of the Citizenry turn out to be so apathetic. What the hell have they done to my people, in less than three decades? Why? How the hell did we allow this regression?

Most people do not have the stomach for what has to be done, but I will assure you, come what may, it will happen!

Well the fact that they have supporters in high places is not exactly news. Any thinker would know this

This man truly has a problem with himself oh, when he was benefitting from PDP arrangees he didn't announce poo, now he has betrayed the North and they after his arse, he has decided to realize that  "there r terrorists in power".

[size=14pt]For all reading this - remember this statement by GEJ as the beginning of the end for Nigeria.[/size]

GEJ is probably speaking on the basis of intelligence reports, which he is sure to be receiving incessantly, I assume.

If this is not one of those impulsive statements he is known for, then this has very far-reaching consequences.

Some people are now going to find themselves quarantined from the presidency.

There is a serious schism within the Nigerian ruling system.

Those planning coups should be prepared for a war if they tried it & should in fact be prepared to be handled with levity in the coming days and weeks - it is the beginning of the end from here on.

This is serious; but then again I am not surprised.
Thank God for a day like this when the president shared the truth with the rest of us masses.

frosbel:

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday said the sectarian violence rocking the country was worse than the civil war that killed over one million people during the 1960s.

"The situation we have in our hands is even worse than the civil war that we fought," Jonathan said at a church service. "During the civil war, we knew and we could even predict where the enemy was coming from. But the challenge we have today is more complicated."

The president also said that the Nigerian government included sympathizers with Islamist terror group Boko Haram.

[size=14pt]"Some of the them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary arm of government, while some of them are even in the judiciary," he said. "Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies."[/size]

The country is divided between a largely Muslim north and a mainly Christian south
Jonathan's comments came just a day after he addressed the nation in a television speech appealing to the country to accept the economic reforms he is trying to push through.

"I feel the pain that you all feel," he said in his TV address. "I know that these are not easy times. But tough choices have to be made to safeguard the economy and our collective survival as a nation."

Part of the government's controversial austerity measures is the cancellation of fuel subsidies likely to double the price of fuel. The reforms have already lead to widespread protests and trade unions have announced a general strike for Monday.

Despite being Africa's biggest oil producer, most of Nigeria's population lives in poverty. The government says the austerity measures proposed are needed for investments in infrastructure, healthcare and education.

The country's economic hardship has also added to the rift between the largely Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south. As the north is poorer, radical Islamist group Boko Haram finds it increasingly easy to recruit young men to commit bloody sectarian violence.


Boko Haram has threatened more attacks on Christians
A series of bomb attacks on churches on Christmas Day killed more than 40 people and injured dozens of others.

Despite a state of emergency and curfews in the volatile north, the situation continues to worsen. Boko Haram has repeatedly warned Christians to leave the north and has backed up its threat with more violent attacks. As Christians are fleeing south, Muslims are moving north in fear of reprisal attacks.

Ayodele Oritsejafor, president of the Christan Association of Nigeria, has also likened the current violence to the 1960s civil war and described it as "ethnic and religious cleansing."

Author: Andreas Illmer (dpa, AFP)
Editor: Ben Knight

The bolded is why this problem will not be resolved without a major national event; an event that will bring a sustainable solution.

In as much some of the infiltrators are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary arm of government, while some of them are even in the judiciary, as the President put it, and reasonable people know that the said culprits are not rabbits, goats, parrots, cows, kudun kudus, insects, or some other creatures, but real human beings, why in the world has this President not rounded them up and charged them with treason??

Is he waiting for another House Resolution to encourage him do do his job?

"Some of the them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary arm of government, while some of them are even in the judiciary," he said. "Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies."

The savior from Otuoke has been reduced to a toothless rumor monger.


Wey their names now?

"Some of the them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary arm of government, while some of them are even in the judiciary," he said. "Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies."

He was not tactful at all in this remark.  No President of a democratic political system should ever utter this nonsense.  Even if its true, a President or anyone in the executive arm should not give voice to it in public.  

By this remark GEJ is admitting weakness and predictably that his govt may collapse  due to the actions of the enemies within.  With such a statement, how does he expect his soldiers on the ground to have strong morale to fight bokoharam?

The soldiers would be wondering if their fight isnt a waste of time and risk of lives when the authority issuing their command from above has already been infiltrated by the same enemy they are sent to demolish.


Beaf, tell your boss he is a weak CiC.

Failure&incompetence do only 2 things i.e. trade blames&make excuses.
See BH running rings round about GEJ.

If this is true, he should act decisively leaving no sacred cow.
Failure to do this shows weakness, anyone close to him should tell him that.

this is not a joking matter before a president of country make a statement like this that mean they,s fire on the mountain
this,s a big problem i pray that will give GEJ Divine wisdom on this.

Wait, didn't this clown of a President tell us, severally, a few months ago that he knew who the sponsors were and that he had ordered the SSS to arrest them?

Why cant this shyt shut the FUCQ up! They infilitrated your stupidi.ty and incompetence. The Northerners hated OBJ more than GEJ and his strong will and iron-clad no-nonsense regime crushed even the Niger Delta militants who are better organized and well connected. GEJ should resign and save us his stupyd stories.
Whoever defends this clown is a bigger one

With a mo.ron like this in power, Nigeria may end up like Rwanda.