Govt’s robust approach to Boko Haram paying-off – Jonathan

UNITED STATES, New York : NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 25: Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President of Nigeria, addresses the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2012 in New York City. The annual event gathers more than 100 heads of state and government for high level meetings on nuclear safety, regional conflicts, health and nutrition and environment issues. Michael Nagle/Getty Images/AFP

President Goodluck Jonathan told the United Nations Thursday  that Nigeria’s “robust” approach to neutralizing a threat posed by Islamist sect, Boko Haram using military force, holding indirect talks with the group and improving education in the North is paying off.

In an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly’s annual gathering of world leaders, President Goodluck Jonathan also played down the significance of the killing of the sect’s spokesman, Abu Qaqa, in a gun battle in Kano on September 16.
On the threat posed by Boko Haram, President Jonathan said, “If I look at it, the trend is coming down. It is not because Abu Qaqa is dead. Abu Qaqa is just one person. If one Abu Qaqa dies, it can generate 10 Abu Qaqas.

Jonathan said: “The issue is not the death of one person. The issue is that the robust approach that government is taking, exploiting all possible means … is paying off, and we believe it will continue to pay off.”

The military has been accused of using heavy-handed tactics in the past and previous operations targeting Boko Haram had resulted in civilian deaths. But Jonathan made it clear that the military approach could only be one part of the solution.

Much more important, he said, was a push to improve agriculture, job prospects and access to Western-style education in the predominantly Muslim north.