Founder and national president of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Faseun said negotiation with Boko Haram should not carry any condition, reminding that the lives of about 240 potential future leaders were involved.
He stated that all the international bodies assisting Nigeria should create a no man’s land to be supervised by the United Nations, where the swapping of the abducted girls and the detained members of the sect would be carried out. On the economy, Faseun regretted that even if it had grown, it had not been affecting the lives of Nigerians positively.
The pan Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, stated that since the sect members use violence to get what they want, the government should deal with them accordingly.
Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere said: “We don’t see any deal that can scale through with them except for the government to get the wherewithal to crush the insurgents once and for all.”
On the human rights improvement, the organisation expressed apprehension that there were still pockets of abuses that were yet to be addressed, reminding that the case of ‘Apo six,’ was still pending along with a few other cases.
Human rights activist and legal practitioner, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, supported the President’s stand on the unconditional renunciation of terrorism by the Boko Haram sect before negotiation, saying, “the stand is sensible.”
But on the nation’s economic growth, the lawyer disagreed with the President, pointing out that available index showed that Nigeria was still an under-developed society.
The activist wondered how anybody could claim that the country’s economy had grown with infrastructural deficit, mass unemployment and where the judiciary was in trouble and health sector in comatose.
Assessing human rights in the country, Aturu agreed that, “there is slight improvement,” but quickly added that the president should not claim the credit, pointing out that high level commitment of the people to the enthronement of democracy that naturally guarantees high level of human rights.
National chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Okey Nwosu, commended President Jonathan for owning up to some of the challenges plaguing the nation, saying the President has changed the executive arm from being domineering and dictatorial. However, he noted that unfortunately, the President’s men had been unable to frame the policies of the present administration to enable Nigerians appreciate the achievements of the government.
His words: “He has matured on the job. Whether we know it or not, this President is changing the face of the executive branch from an over-domineering, highly dictatorial, monstrous centre to a human process-driven workplace.
“Most Nigerians beg for a weak centre and the President is offering that most strategically, but Nigerians seem not to be used to the model we yearn for. Unfortunately too, the President’s men are not able to frame what is happening for better understanding and buy-in by ordinary Nigerians.
The Villa will no longer be a place for people to use bravado to hide their ignorance.”
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, acknowledged the challenges bedeviling the country particularly in the area of security but emphasised that he had strong faith in President Jonathan’s capability to proffer solutions to the crises.
Makinde decried the attitude of some Nigerians, who failed to see anything good in Jonathan’s administration with their destructive criticism that often heat up the polity, reminding them that the worst democratic government was better than best military government.
On his part, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Lagos State, Chief Campbell Umeh-Nzekwe, said he did not make any meaning out of the President’s speech.
He stated: “ I had expected him to tell us his specific efforts towards strengthening democratic institutions like making the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) really independent and ensuring that the judiciary is strengthen too. What we have is an economic growth that is not beneficial to the common man.”
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