Obasanjo: "President Jonathan Is Overwhelmed By This Boko Haram"

Many Nigerians are already missing the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo when misguided folks who dared to threaten the sovereignty of Nigeria are crushed, we observed. 

 Weighing in on the latest spat of Boko Haram heartless attacks in the country, Obasanjo declared that President Goodluck Jonathan is overwhelmed by the challenge of dealing with deadly Boko Haram insurgency.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Focus on Africa from Nairobi, Kenya, Obasanjo said:

“I took it upon myself to reach out to the group after consulting with the president. I went to Maiduguri to meet the families of those who were killed by the police through the help of the lawyer who represented them. 

“No matter how well-meaning the president is, his assertion on ending Boko Haram has not been achieved. The president is overwhelmed.”

The respected former leader also suggested that dialogue could be the key to resolving the crisis. Reminded that he once advocated a carrot-and-stick approach, Obasanjo said since the stick approach was not working, “is there anything wrong with the carrot? I doubt it”.

Obasanjo recalled the efforts he made to reach out to Boko Haram in 2011 after the attack on the UN House in Abuja by the militants which left 21 people dead and 73 injured. But he was frustrated by side talks.