The story is the Sunnewsonline
Twenty-four hours after former
President Olusegun Obasanjo advised the Federal Government to adopt “carrot and
stick” approach in tackling Boko Haram, presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben
Abati, has told the Nigerian leader to pocket his counsel. In fact, Abati said
Obasanjo is confused. Obasanjo told Zain Verjee on CNN International interview
on Tuesday that President Goodluck Jonathan should use the stick to check the
menace of the Islamist sect whose campaign has killed over 2,500 people during
attacks on churches and mosques.
Reacting to Obasanjo’s interview for
the second time yesterday, Abati, in four tweets, said Obasanjo is apparently
confused over the Boko Haram menace with his recent suggestion that the “carrot
and stick” approach should be employed to address the insurgency. Obasanjo had,
in the CNN interview, accused President Jonathan of only using the stick
approach to address the problem rather than ‘a double track’ approach.
“To deal with such group, you need
‘carrot’ and ‘stick’ approach. ‘Carrot’ is finding out what, how to reach out
to them and ‘stick’ is when you are trying to reach out to them, those that are
amenable to be reached out to, you have to use the stick approach”. But
Obasanjo’s new posture, however, drew the ire of the Presidency, as Abati
picked holes in the suggestions of the former president, saying it smacked of
contradiction and confusion.
He said Obasanjo had earlier accused
President Jonathan of being too soft on Boko Haram at a function in Warri,
Delta State where he suggested an Odi solution (genocide) to the Boko Haram
insurgence “Jonathan administration has shown creativity and purposefulness in
handling the Boko Haram challenge. Hence, the progress we witness. “One report
says Obasanjo is recommending a multifaceted approach to Boko Haram. This
government certainly doesn’t need a lecture on that,” Abati tweeted.
Obasanjo and the Presidency had
engaged in a veiled war of words since last year over perceived plan by
Jonathan to contest a second term in 2015. Although, the President was yet to
declare his intention, Obasanjo had never concealed his posture that the next
president must come from another zone of the country and not from the
South-South where Jonathan hailed from.
