By Umoru Ibrahim
At the 43rd Annual Symposium of late political sage of peasant politics (Talakawa), Mallam Aminu Kano, a veteran journalist, Public Relations guru and Community Leader, Prince (Dr.) Amb. Ajayi Memaiyetan JP, FNIPR, who is also the publisher of Civil Society Kano Newsletter, gave the Federal Government a wake-up call against funders of terrorism now on rampage in the country.
He was speaking at the symposium entitled: ‘The ECOWAS and regional peace in West Africa, the security and economic implications for Nigeria,’ held at the Mambayya House of Bayero University, Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies.
Prince Memaiyetan whose late uncle, Mallam Bello Ijumu was the founder General Secretary of radical Northern Elements Progressives Union (NEPU) and number one card carrying member of the party, said the move against terrorism may end up an exercise in futility without the arrest and imprisonment of funders of terrorism, particularly the promoters of multinational companies.
He said the Federal Government should borrow a leaf from the recent trial and imprisonment of the Chief Executive of Lafarge in Paris by a court after being found guilty for funding a terrorist group in Tunisia to keep its cement plant running with the backing of terrorists.
Lafarge has presence in Nigeria with cement plants in Ashaka of North-East and in Ewekoro and Shagamu both in Ogun State and a plant in Mfammosing In Cross River State.
“It is a known fact that most mining sites have hired terrorists to protect the interest of their principals who are illegal miners,” he said.
He said when the Syria uprising triggered a Civil War and other multi National Companies left the country in 2010, Lafarge evacuated only its foreign employees in Syria and left the country until 2014 when an Islamic Group terrorist which declared a “Caliphate” in part of Syria and Iraq seized back control of the plant and sent the terrorist packing.
Prince Memaiyetan commended the anti-terrorism efforts of the Federal Government but lamented the increasing number of deaths on the side of Nigeria because of terrorists increasing fire power with drones.
“It is time to note that terrorism is not sustained by ideology alone but by Complex Financial Networks.
“The recent renewed challenges by terrorists against our Armed Forces had revealed lack of synergy among them because their multinational funders increased their fire power with new arsenals like drones. It is time the funders including those on trials pay for their evil actions,” he added.
He said victory was not yet in sight after more than a decade of terror.
“The speedy trial of those arrested and detained will be better because of the 48 suspect names already published.
“The search light should beam on the multinationals when military solution is not yet in sight,” he added.
Lt – Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd), former Chief of Army Staff and chairman of the occasion, confirmed the existence of such sponsored rebels but said they were committing such crimes to reap from their criminal bad actions.
The main lecture presented by Prof. Nazifi Abdullahi Darma, who was a former Commissioner, Internal Services ECOWAS Commission, said it was time to deal decisively with growing number of terrorisms for peace and progress of Nigeria.
Prof. Habu Muhammad, Director of Mambayya House, expressed appreciation for the large turn out as evidence of Aminu Kano’s good living for the masses (Talakawa) when he was on this planet.
“Malam Aminu Kano is dead but his good works still live in the hearts of the people,” he concluded.