ALLEGED LINKS WITH BOKO HARAM:UK UNDER PRESSURE TO PROBE APC

• We Shall Respond Officially, Says Lai Mohammed
• Party Wrong In Not Backing Jonathan Against Insurgency – Babatope
WORRIED by the persistent terrorist attacks being perpetrated by the Boko Haram sect, particularly in the northern parts of Nigeria, there are indications that the British parliament is set to probe the activities of the group to determine whether it has any link with the All Progressives Congress (APC), the major opposition party in the country.
A prominent member of the British parliament, Mr. Andrew Rosindell, questioned the UK foreign secretary, Mr. William Hague, on the country’s engagement with Nigeria’s leading opposition party, the APC, over the Boko Haram menace. 
According to TheCable, an online news platform, “this came after a debate in parliament in which Labour MP Sandra Osborne sought to examine allegations of links between APC and the insurgents. The report indicated that increasing questioning of the UK government by MPs on the issue may force an inquiry into the allegations.”
Although the APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told TheCable on Friday that he was not aware of any meeting between the leadership of APC and Hague, but when contacted by The Guardian over the issue yesterday, Mohammed simply said, “You will hear our comprehensive response to the matter later.”
When prompted further, he retorted, “Other media has sought to hear from us but we shall respond appropriately later.”
Meanwhile, Rosindell, a conservative who represents Romford and is a member of the influential foreign affairs committee, sent in his written questions ─ called “notices” ─ on Tuesday, July 8.
The report stated that Hague is mandated to formally respond to Rosindell’s questions in the coming weeks on behalf of the British government.
The questions, listed under “notices for written answer,” were published on the website of the UK parliament.
Rosindell’s queries relating to Boko Haram, as listed, are: to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will commission an inquiry into the international support network for Boko Haram in Nigeria and Cameroon; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his department have had with leading members of the Nigerian opposition party, APC; to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the rise in Islamic terrorism in Nigeria; to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department plans to offer to Nigeria in tackling the threat of Boko Haram; to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of links between Boko Haram and other Islamic extremist groups in Africa; to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his counterpart in Cameroon the need for constructive dialogue between that country and Nigeria in tackling Boko Haram; and if he will make a statement.
Reacting to the issue, former Minister of Transportation and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, posited that it is too early to conclude or link any group or party with the activities of the sect until investigations prove that beyond reasonable doubt.
He, however, said that the APC made a very big mistake by not cooperating fully with President Goodluck Jonathan’s government in fighting the sect.
According to him, “An armed robber cannot invade a place without any link with an insider. But as I said, it would be wrong to jump into conclusion that any group or party is directly or indirectly linked with the sect until the truth is revealed by proper investigation.”
In another reaction, a Chieftain of the APC, Prince Tony Momoh, posited there is nothing wrong for any nation to investigate whether any group, political party or individual is involved in the terrorist attack as long as it would bring solution to the problem, because it has turned into a very serious security and life-threatening matter for the country.
He, however, said that linking APC with Boko Haram activities now is a mere propaganda of the ruling PDP.
According to him, “Boko Haram crisis has been there ever before the formation of the APC. It has been there ever before the PDP presented President Jonathan as its candidate in 2011, which consequently led into crisis and division among the party members. It has been there even before the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who ordered the attack of a state in which the leader of the group was killed extra judicially.
“You should also put into consideration the crisis that tore the PDP apart during their controversial zoning arrangement when some of the aggrieved northern members of the party vowed to make the country ungovernable for Jonathan. Unfortunately, we now have three types of Boko Haram. The religious, the political, which as the handmaid of the PDP itself and the criminal Boko Haram.”
Momoh, however, said instead of indulging in unnecessary propaganda, Nigerians should take the issue seriously as insurgency in Nigeria has now been taken over by international terrorist groups, who are fighting against the dominance of the Western world.”
In another development yesterday, the Lagos State Council of Islamic Chiefs, Led by Alhaji Sani Garba expressed deep concern over the activities of the sect and called for concerted efforts against Boko Haram irrespective of religious, political and ethnic affiliations.
Alhaji Garba, in his reaction said the issue of insecurity in Nigeria has transcended blame game. “All we need do is to dialogue to find a lasting solution to it.”
The Leader, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Mr. Ayo Okpadokun, while conceding to the fact that the state of insurgency being perpetrated by the sect has come to a worrisome state, posited that the leading actors of the APC are distinguished patriots with impeccable profile till date.
He, however, raised concern about the genuineness, or otherwise, of the query supposedly being made to the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, saying that: “Let the party in power in Nigeria desist from their transferred aggression against the opposition over their gross inadequacies to provide security for life and property which is their primary responsibility.”
According to him, “There are too many fault lines, which only the PDP government must admit as unfortunate. How can this government explain that after it had declared a state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, the insurgents were so audacious as to abduct over 250 young school ladies with ease? The logistics was more than ordinary. Where were the security and intelligence operatives when these acts of inhuman conduct were being executed?
Source: Guardian