Turai Yar'adua is Blackmailing Jonathan Over Boko Haram-Bishop Adekunle

Turai Yar'adua is Blackmailing Jonathan Over Boko Haram-Bishop Adekunle

BISHOP of Egba Anglican Diocese, The Right Reverend Emmanuel Adekunle, has described the call for amnesty for Boko Haram by wife of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Turai, as mere blackmail.

The cleric also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to have a rethink on his decision at granting amnesty to the sect, saying the agitation which led to granting of amnesty to the Niger Delta militants by the late president was different from that of the Boko Haram.

Adekunle, while addressing a pre-13th Synod of the diocese in Abeokuta, on Tuesday, said Jonathan should tread with caution over the proposed amnesty, in order not to encourage holocaust and genocide.

“But I sounded it somewhere of recent that the statement issued by Madam Turai Yar’adua, alongside her approach to that issue of amnesty to me, was wrong. She said that the president should grant boko Haram amnesty because her husband gave amnesty to Niger Delta boys. More or less, I perceive that as a blackmail.

“That is a blackmail. Turai saying since her husband, being a Northerner, offered amnesty to South-South boys, implies president, The president being from the South-South must compulsorily give amnesty to the North’s Boko Haram is more of a blackmail,” Adekunle stated.

The Bishop also noted that the state pardon recently granted some former highly-ranked political and public office holders by Jonathan might amount to perpetuation of corruption in the Nigerian state.

Adekunle potrayed the purchase of private jets by Christian leaders in the country as misplaced priority, bickering that most members of the congregation were suffering in abject poverty.

He expressed believe that President Jonathan would not contest in 2015 as he had earlier promised, saying he should rather start evaluating his achievements in office.