By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN CITY—FORMER Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Rowland Owie, yesterday, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to order air strikes and land invasion of the Sambisa forest, saying that the seeming delay in invading the den of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, was giving them more time to re-group.

He also called on the National Assembly to approve the declaration of a full scale state of emergency in Borno State, warning that if the menace of the sect members was not tackled urgently, the war on terror may be a lengthy one for the nation.

Owie, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo State, said: “I  appeal to Mr President to declare a full scale war on Boko Haram because a Benin parable says when a juju shrine is too kind spirited, weeds will over grow it. This is the time for Sambisa forest to be invaded by air and land. Mr President, your teeming millions of well wishers would want a united Nigeria but certainly not a Nigeria where terrorists and their sponsors have a field day.

“Time is ripe now for a full war against Boko Haram. You have given them enough time  to embrace dialogue and peace. The carnage Boko Haram has done is more than what happened before General Yakubu Gowon declared war on then Eastern Nigeria. In the first instance, a full scale state of emergency should be declared in Borno State immediately.”

“I urge my colleagues in the National Assembly to support the emergency rule. My colleagues should take note of Bini parable which says, when heavy rain is pouring on the facial board, the veranda will be jubilating, forgetting that the rain will flood the veranda.”

“They must take action now before they too God forbid, are Bokoed out of their chambers. They should not forget the history of Plateau State and Governor Dariye, when there was crisis which was not even one per cent of what is happening in Borno and then President Olusegun Obasanjo declared full state of emergency in Plateau State,” he added.