Danjuma to Jonathan: Arrest Dokubo, Tompolo, others now

From Edwin Olofu, Kano

Former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (Rtd) on Wednesday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately order the arrest of ex- Niger-Delta militants that threatened war if he loses the February Presidential poll.

Danjuma who was speaking to newsmen in Kano shortly after he commissioned Kwankwasiyya city described the comment by the ex- militants as reckless and irresponsible.

“Those were very reckless statements coming from irresponsible individuals and they should be condemned, in fact they should be arrested.”

It would be recalled that former Niger Delta militants that include Dokubo, Tompolo, Boyloaf among others have threatened that Nigeria will not know peace if its people failed to elect President Jonathan in the February 14 presidential election.

The ex-militants’ leaders who spoke when they met with the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson last Friday at the Banquet hall of government house in Yenagoa, insisted that the re-election of Jonathan was not negotiable.

While addressing the audience, one of the commanders, who is better known as Boyloaf , decried the attack on the President in some northern states, warning that nobody or group had the monopoly of violence.

He argued that there was nothing like one Nigeria. He claimed that the only thing binding Nigeria’s unity was the oil.

Danjuma decried the height of provocative and inflammatory statements being made by some politicians, which he said could also truncate the peace of the nation.

According to him, politicians should be wary of their provocative and inflammatory statements while campaigning in this crucial time of the general election, advising that campaigns should be issue based not attacking individuals.

The one time Chief of Army Staff lamented lack of continuity in governance in Nigeria, noting that has been the bane of development because predecessors often time conceive good projects that are abandon by successors.

“One of the unfortunate developments in our country is that we don’t have continuity, within one government, when there are changes of ministers successors normally abandon, what they inherited.

“Successors abandon what they inherit, my prayer is that whoever that is going to succeed you(Kwankwaso) will continue with the very good work you have started”.

Speaking while commissioning the multi billion naira Kwankwasiyya village, General Danjuma commended Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for the foresight and the rapid development that Kano people have witnessed under his administration.