USA Africa Dialogue Series - A Professor's view of Boko Haram

"Between 1450s and 1850s, over 400,000 Africans were forcibly carried
away as slaves. Today, if a slave ship of one million capacity berths
at the Apapa Port and calls for those who want to go voluntarily to
the United States and United Kingdom on slavery, the ship will not
take one hour to be filled."
- Dr. Osisioma Nwolise

Read on:

Boko Haram Not Terrorist Group – Don
A crime management expert and acting Head, Political Science
Department, University of Ibadan, Dr. Osisioma Nwolise, has said Boko
Haram is not a terrorist organisation.
Rather, the university don described the group as a liberation force
in the mould of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta,
the Oodua Peoples Congress that came as a result of a 'state-people
conflict' and struggle for social justice.
Nwolise spoke while presenting a paper titled 'Nigeria at 51: Where is
the life more abundant for the masses?' at a public lecture and award
ceremony to mark the nation's 51st independence anniversary organised
by the Centre for Good Governance in Africa at the Conference Centre
of the university on Friday.
The HOD, who taught Terrorism Management at the National Defence
College for five years, however admitted that a thin line separated
terrorism and liberation struggle.
Nwolise said, "It is not everybody that uses terrorist tactics that is
a terrorist."
He regretted that the life abundant which Nigerians were promised by
nationalists at independence had remained elusive.
He said, "Between 1450s and 1850s, over 400,000 Africans were forcibly
carried away as slaves. Today, if a slave ship of one million capacity
berths at the Apapa Port and calls for those who want to go
voluntarily to the United States and United Kingdom on slavery, the
ship will not take one hour to be filled.
"It shows the extent our post-independence political rulers have
devalued our lives."
The programme coordinator, Adefemi Johnson, said while it was
noteworthy that President Goodluck Jonathan had finally made up his
mind to carry out power sector reforms.
He, however, urged Jonathan not foot-drag on the decision because
uninterrupted electricity was critical to the economy.
He pointed out that the country could not afford to carry on with
business as usual, as had been done in the last 51 years and called
for commitment on the part of the political leadership towards the
socio-economic development of the citizens.
The Director-General of National Space Research and Development
Agency, Abuja, Seidu Mohammed; the Chairman, Offa Local Government
Council of Kwara State, Mr Saheed Popoola; and others received African
Symbol for Quality Leadership award at the event.

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Ayo Abiola
skype: abydayjee
Ontario, Canada.

Faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life...
Earth's great treasure lies human personality and service to humanity
is the best work of life"

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