Monguno to Jonathan: Are you running a DIARCHY Government?

Elder statesman and first Nigeria's Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno, yesterday added his voice to calls for dialogue with the Boko Haram sect to end violence in the northern part of the country, saying President Goodluck Jonathan should consider the request because he was also a product of dialogue.

Monguno, who is in his late 80s, stated this yesterday at a stakeholder's meeting with Jonathan in Maiduguri.

Monguno said "to be frank, Mr. President, but for dialogue, you wouldn't have become the President of this country today. Our founding fathers who got together and begged the British government to hand over the reins of government had to sit together and forget their differences and agreed that if given, we will live together in harmony, we will respect each other," he said.

Monguno, noted for his fearless assessment of national issues, expressed reservations with the way Nigeria is being administered. "Mr. President, sometimes we wonder whether you are running a military government, a democracy or something called diarchy. We can hardly put our finger on what type of government you are running, Mr. President. We hope the labours of our heroes past shall not be in vain," he said.

The elder statesman pointed out that for Nigeria to stabilize and develop, all the constituents of the country must be treated equitably and everybody must be made to feel among so that no part will feel agitated or short-changed.

"Mr. President, I should advise you to relate more with the governments of northern Nigeria...I have a feeling that there is something like misunderstanding between you Mr. President who has the responsibility of running the entire country and the governors of 19 northern states. We have told them too to always be together," he said.