From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Islamic cleric Sheikh Gumi has been lambasted for his recent comment on the consequences of the Federal Government’s intention to declare bandits as terrorists.
Former Publicity Secretary of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State and Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area Mr Samuel Nwanosike, and a prominent public analyst, Mr Livingstone Wechie, saw Gumi’s comment as a conspiratorial compromise by the Nigeria state and its security agencies.
‘You can see the double standard of how they (Federal Government) are governing this country called Nigeria – two different sets of laws in the same country; two different ways of treating the citizens in the same country,’ Nwanosike stated.
‘I am saying, a group of people who would go and massacre, main, even attack and kill security agents with dangerous weapons will not be declared a terrorist group, but you (Federal Government) could hurriedly declare an unarmed group a terrorist group until they now became armed.
‘What we are saying is this, you cannot play double standard in administering a nation about an organisation. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.’
‘Sheikh Gumi the Islamic Cleric has for a period been developing a groundswell of felonious influence that seems to be legitimising terrorism and banditry in Nigeria,’ Wechie expressed.
‘It is most disturbing that such a person with his background as a retired military Captain should be using religious blackmail to promote such dangerous and criminal ideology.
‘The comments credited to Sheikh Gumi warning that the categorisation of Bandits as terrorists will mean the end of Nigeria smacks of conspiratorial compromise by the Nigerian state and its forces. It indicates that the Federal Government may have surrendered to the antics of the self-made Ambassador of Terrorists and Bandits.
‘It is very surprising that Gumi who now enjoys unfettered communication access to the insurgents to the point of middle-manning for the release of abductees has acquired the ultimate right to dictate the paradigm on the war on insecurity and remains untouchable, whether advertently or otherwise, by the Nigerian government.
‘Gumi cannot continue to threaten the rest of Nigeria by likening terrorism and banditry to genuine questions of the rest of the country leaving the suspicion that he may be enjoying government sympathy.
‘It must be stated that Nigeria is not bigger than the world as to grant immunity to the promoters of insurgency under the guise of clergyship as Gumi enjoys despite growing concerns about his unwholesome activities.
‘It is more worrisome that the Federal Government has chickened out from the option of arresting and prosecuting Gumi for terrorism and treason for promoting the former and threatening the Nigerian state.
‘The act of making the shenanigans of Sheikh Gumi a superior authority to the sovereignty of Nigeria while lawful agitators are branded terrorists is a doubtless manifestation of incapacity of the Federal Government to win the war on terror.
‘It is, therefore, appropriate to suggest that Nigeria itself stands the chance of being the biggest casualty, if the Federal Government does not rise above wavering disposition in this war and get serious to stop the massive senseless killings of her citizens which statistics have outnumbered that of a nation at war.
‘Finally, the Federal Government must realise that in the eye of the international community, Nigeria’s security profile has gone aground and if there is no strategy innovation, citizens may be left of the option of self-defence.’