Nigeria: Jonathan – We Don’t Need U.S. to Handle Boko Haram

Mohammed S. Shehu

9 June 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in New York said Nigeria doesn’t require the assistance of United States of America or any other country to handle the Boko Haram crisis.

“I can promise you that as a government we are committed and up to the task and will bring it down,” Jonathan told reporters at the United Nations in New York, ahead of his meeting in Washington with President Barack Obama.

“It does not rise to the level where we will have to ask President Obama or other world leaders for assistance,” he was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.

Jonathan also said the Federal Government would adopt the carrot and stick options to contain the activities of Boko Haram.

The President was quoted in a statement yesterday by the Office of the Special Adviser (Media & Publicity) to the President and signed by Mr Attah Esa, saying “just as similar terrorist acts in the Niger Delta were brought under control, government would use both “carrot and stick” options to contain Boko Haram.”

“The issue of explosions has been with us even before the elections and we are doing all within our powers to bring it down and we will manage and suppress it.”

Jonathan, who denied any connection between the bombing incidents and his election, described his victory at the polls as cutting across religious and ethnic affiliations throughout the country.

“Boko Haram is still a domestic issue that generates international interest because of the explosions,” he said.

The group is accused of killing a number of people in several attacks in the country the latest being the Maiduguri attack on Tuesday where ten people died.

 With Agency Report

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