Senate President David Mark
By John Shiklam
The Middle Belt Youth Forum (MBYF) has said the persistent bombing of churches and killing of Christians in the North was a deliberate plot by the sponsors of Boko Haram to dislodge minority groups in the region, who voted massively for President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 presidential election.
The forum also condemned some elements in the North for criticising Senate President David Mark over his recent statement blaming northern leaders for their continuous silence on the activities of the Islamic sect and for not doing anything to stop menace.
National leader of the MBYF, Hon. Jonathan Asake, in a statement in Kaduna, called on President Jonathan to tackle the Boko Haram menace by exposing their sponsors who “in their quest for power have become murderers and take pleasure in bombing churches and killing Christians to teach them a lesson for voting Jonathan during the April 2011 elections.”
Asake urged the President to do everything possible to expose all those who are behind the faceless group and working against the corporate existence of the Nigerian nation.
The statement condemned what it described as “unjustified and disrespectful” comments against Senate President David Mark and his office, stressing that Mark did not say anything wrong to warrant the “uncomplimentary comments from the likes of Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, Prof. Ango Abdullahi and one Shehu Sani, who exhibited so much hate and intolerance” in their various reaction to Mark’s blunt and courageous statement on the dreaded Islamic sect.
According to the MBYF, “Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, Prof. Ango Abdullahi and one Mr. Shehu Sani, exhibited their intolerance, lack of respect and disregard for the person and office of the Senate President to the extent that Yakasai lost all his sense of decorum, referring to the senate president as ‘a fool’.
“This is unacceptable, the likes of Yakasai, instead of taking time to soberly ponder and reflect on the dispassionate, patriotic and courageous remarks made by the senate president which found national approval and commendation, they instead preferred to let sentiments and emotions to eclipse their sense of reasoning.
“We take exception to these insults on a National figure such as the Senate President. The Middle Belt youth forum hereby completely aligns itself with the observations and comments made by the senate president during the senate retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
“There is no doubt that many of the Northern leaders have continued to pretend and played the proverbial ostrich while the bombing by Boko Haram of innocent and defenceless people, especially Christians in their Churches has continued with impunity.
“The harsh comments stemming from Yakasai his likes, is a clear pointer to complicity either directly or indirectly, or at least an endorsement of the subversive activities of the Islamists group to undermine the sovereignty of Nigeria and rubbish the Jonathan’s presidency.
“The Forum therefore wishes to call on the President Jonathan courageously tackle the issue of Boko Haram attacks, as their sponsors are deliberately determined to dislocate the minorities of the North who gave him the Northern votes that saw him to the presidency.”