Senate says it is ready to support President Goodluck Jonathan on any action that would be taken to check the activities of Boko Haram Islamic sect in Nigeria.

The Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial Zone, Senator Magnus Abe, who made the position of the Senate known on the activities of Boko Haram during an interactive session with youths and student groups from the zone yesterday at Bera condemned the Christmas bomb blasts which killed scores of people.

Senator Abe who described the present security situation in the country as critical, said that the upper legislative chamber was ready to back the action of President Jonathan that would help the Federal Government to curb the menace of the religious sect.

Meanwhile, Senator Magnus Abe has blamed Nigeria’s underdevelopment on poor leadership.

He said that successive governments in Nigeria had failed to take into account the need to plan for the future of the country, saying that the situation led to the present level of underdevelopment in the country.

Senator Abe thanked the youths for the interactive session and stressed the need for them to remain peaceful in their approach to issues of common interest.

Also speaking, the state Deputy Governor, Engr Tele Ikuru described Senator Abe as one of the best brains in the Senate. He said the town hall meeting was the first of its kind in the area and called for support of all and sundry in the efforts of government to improve the lots of the people.

Meanwhile, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has called on Christians not to panic, but be calm in prayers in the face of security challenges.

Rt. Hon. Amaechi made the call on Monday while speaking at the centenary celebration of St. Stephen’s (Ang) Church, Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

The governor who spoke through the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Nabbs Imegwe, charged Christians to learn not to avenge for themselves, because vengeance belongs to God.

He told the people that God knows how best to defend His people even in the midst of trouble.

He however admonished Christians to see the festive season as a period of sober reflection and make frantic efforts to turn a new leaf.

The state chief executive also charged Christians to be good patriots and embrace those that are suffering any kind of affliction among them.

He expressed belief that Christians would certainly overcome the spate of unwholesome acts of the Boko Haram sect just as Jesus Christ overcame the works of the devil about 2000 years ago.

Also speaking, the Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Chief Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi regretted the killing of Christians in the North.

Ezeiel-Amadi said there was urgent need to tackle security challenges especially against the Christians in the North in order to avert a major crisis in the country.

However, National Security Adviser (NSA), Retired Gen. Andrew Azazi on Tuesday in Abuja said that changes in the leadership of the nation’s security agencies are no solution to the spate of violence in the country.

The general stated this in an interview with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa.

Azazi who was at a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, on the nation’s security, said what was needed was improved security.

“Why changes in leadership? Everybody thinks that if you change leaders in security, everything will work fine.

“If you ask a very simple question; what kind of security system have we been managing? Are the structures all been so good that we can overall produce results?

“It is a gradual process, anywhere there has been this level of terrorism, it takes a long time for the security system to be overhauled.

“Even whatever you do, at some points, you expect limited successes and to ensure that over a period of time, you can actually put things in place that will work for the betterment for the society,” he said.

Azazi said that agencies were working ahead of the security situation but that it was difficult for them to man every point simultaneously.

He emphasised the need for security awareness among members of the public and the need for public participation and cooperation with security agencies.

The NSA also ruled out any possibility of reprisal by Christians against Moslems over the Christmas bomb blasts at churches in Niger and Plateau States.

“We can’t have a situation where we think that one bad turn deserves another.

“We are Nigerians and like we always say, I don’t see any major conflict between the Christian community and the Moslem community.

“You will find a situation where certain individuals for whatever reasons are causing these problems.

“Retaliation is not the answer because if you retaliate, at what point will it end? Nigeria must survive as a nation, that is the key thing,” he said.

On why government has not entered into dialogue with the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which has claimed responsibility for many terror attacks, Azazi said it was impossible to discuss with a faceless group.

Enoch Epelle