Buhari
President
Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said a sociological study would be conducted
on the insurgents, Boko Haram, when they are finally subdued by the
government.
Such a study, he said, will assist in
determining the origin, the remote and immediate causes of the movement,
its sponsors, its international connections and steps to prevent its
recurrence.
Buhari spoke at the opening ceremony of the International Islamic Conference on peace and nation building in Abuja.
The President noted that the theme and
timing of the conference, which is a joint effort between Jama’atu
Izalatil Bid’a Wa Iqamatis Sunna based in Nigeria and the Muslim World
League, is coming when most part of the world is grappling with one form
of violent conflict or another.
He welcomed the Executive Secretary of the Muslim World League, His Eminence, Professor Abdullahi bin Abdulmohsin Al- Turki.
He said: “I assured Nigerians that at
the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued, the Government
would commission a sociological study to determine the origin, the
remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, its
international connections if any, to ensure that measures are taken to
prevent a recurrence.
“The outcome of the proceedings of this conference will be useful in that regard,” he added.
Buhari reiterated that Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam.
He said also that he was impressed by
the objectives of the conference. They are among others, to: *promote
national, regional and global cooperation against the spread of
insurgency;
*correct the distortions about the concept of peace in Islamic ideology and philosophy;
*contribute to the global fight against terrorism because security is a shared responsibility; and to
*attract global attention to the plight
of those most affected by the insurgency, which is mostly concentrated
in the North Eastern part of our country. These include Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs), orphaned children, widows and the elderly who
have been rendered homeless and helpless as a result of the insurgency.
The President told the gathering that
Nigeria’s joint cooperation with its neighbours has substantially
degraded the attacking capability of Boko Haram and have compelled them
to retreat.
“We will pursue them relentlessly until they become an item of history,” he added
Continuing, Buhari said: “The tragic
paradox of the global insurgency situation is that most of the
atrocities committed by various insurgents all over the world today are
being carried out mainly by people who pretend to be Muslims, yet most
of the victims and casualties are equally Muslims.
“To underscore their cruelty and
godlessness, they particularly target the most vulnerable members of the
society: children, women and the elderly. No religion approves of such
heinous crimes against humanity; definitely not Islam nor Christianity,
to which two most Nigerians belong,” he added.
Noting that normal people must rise up
against terrorism, Buhari said that Islam does not permit lawlessness as
it frowns at extremism even in normal acts of worship.
He added: “The emergence of any group
advocating the contrary is, therefore, irreligious and unacceptable.
Religious leaders must intensify their efforts to send out the real
teachings of their religion in order to counter the diabolical ideology
that motivates the insurgent elements.”
The President also urged the forum to
call on all religious, community and political leaders to mobilise their
followers against corruption and crimes of any kind.
He noted that Nigeria had suffered many years of official neglect and corruption leading to untold hardship to the common man.
“They should also encourage them to be
more tolerant of each other; and recognise the rights of others as they
want others to recognise their rights to worship and live freely,” he
added.
Buhari promised that his administration
will do everything possible to safeguard lives and property and also to
ensure even development across Nigeria.
The President also pointed out that the
global economic challenges facing the world today might turn out to be a
blessing for Nigeria as it will stimulate the latent economic
opportunities that have remained untapped for decades in the country.
According to him, poverty breeds
disaffection, which in turn leads to crime and lawlessness, including
confrontation against the State.
“To checkmate this, we must work hard to
lift our economy, engage our youth and rebuild infrastructure. We can
only achieve these with full cooperation of all Nigerians and under a
stable polity. We are determined to do this and we shall not be
deterred,” Buhari said.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, governors and other leaders were at the occasion.
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