A Security Analyst, Prosper Nii Nortey-Addo says it is not out of place for President John Mahama to intervene in the ongoing insurgency in Nigeria.
President Mahama as the Chairman of ECOWAS is expected to meet Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan to find ways of ending the activities of Nigeria’s Islamist group, Boko Haram.
Boko Haram last month abducted over 200 school girls at a school in the northern part of Nigeria and followed with another abduction of about eight girls on Monday.
The United States has deployed experts to Nigeria to help find the abducted girls while the British Foreign Minister, William Hague has also offered to help Nigeria in the search.
Boko Haram has subsequently threatened to sell the girls.
In Ghana, many have expressed fears that President Mahama’s involvement in the issue may cause a spill over in Ghana.
But Mr. Nortey-Addo, in an interview on Eyewitness News said, it is the responsibility of President Mahama to ensure all issues within the ECOWAS sub-region are addressed.
“The President has a responsibility to ensure that all issues within the ECOWAS region, particularly, in the area of terrorism are tackled and tackled well and so if he decides to go to Nigeria, it is nothing out of context,” he explained.
He also stated that the notion that terrorists will not harm people who do not talk about their activities is false.
“Terrorists strike anywhere they want to strike. I have always maintained that they target interests and it could be internal or external and so we shouldn’t be under delusion that when we sit down and Nigeria is on fire, and everything is well with Ghana, we can just keep quiet. It is everybody’s business, not just the President’s, but individuals on the ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, an Islamic Analyst, Ibad Ibrahim is suggesting that the best way to end the insurgency in Nigeria is for Goodluck Jonathan to step down as President.
“I think that Goodluck Jonathan should give way because you can look at the fact in Nigeria, the Muslim politicians have dominated the politics of the country since 1960. Apart from Sonika, Namdi Azikiwe, and Yakubu Gowon , most of these head of states have been Muslims and therefore, they feel they have the prerogative at any point in time to call the shots vis-à-vis the politics of the country,” he explained.
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana