In September last year, Pres. Goodluck Jonathan embarked on a trip to Chad where he met with that country’s leader, Idris Derby.

At the time Boko Haram was still having the upper hand in the war against Nigeria and the president spoke with Derby about areas of cooperation in the war against terror.

Remember who accompanied the president to that meeting? Ali Modu Sheriff, the much maligned former governor of Borno believed to have been one of those who sowed the seed of Boko Haram.

Outrage followed when Nigerians saw the photo of Sheriff comfortably seated with the president and Derby. See below:

(the September photo)

APC, through its spokesman, Lai Mohammed, said:

“This action by President Jonathan confirms what the APC has always believed: That the President either knows more than he is willing to admit on the issue of those who are behind the Boko Haram insurgency or he is willing to sacrifice the battle against terrorism on the altar of political expediency. Either way, this action by the President is the height of indiscretion at best, or a palpable exhibition of callousness at worst.”

Even Wole Soyinka weighed in on the matter in a blistering piece: “As if to confirm all the such surmises, an ex-governor, Sheriff, notorious throughout the nation – including within security circles as affirmed in their formal dossiers – as prime suspect in the sponsorship league of the scourge named Boko Haram, was presented to the world as a presidential traveling companion. And the speculation became: was the culture of impunity finally receiving endorsement as a governance yardstick? Again, Goodluck Jonathan swung into a plausible explanation: it was Mr. Sheriff who, as friend of the host President Idris Deby, had traveled ahead to Chad to receive Jonathan as part of President Deby’s welcome entourage. What, however does this say of any president? How came it that a suspected affiliate of a deadly criminal gang, publicly under such ominous cloud, had the confidence to smuggle himself into the welcoming committee of another nation, and even appear in audience, to all appearance a co-host with the president of that nation? Where does the confidence arise in him that Jonathan would not snub him openly or, after the initial shock, pull his counterpart, his official host aside and say to him, “Listen, it’s him, or me.”? So impunity now transcends boundaries, no matter how heinous the alleged offence?”

Well, Pres. Derby was in town again today, and guess who showed up at the presidential villa: Ali Modu Sheriff, of course.

So it appears that it is impossible for Nigeria’s president and his Chadian counterpart to meet if Sheriff is not present.

Hmm…

See photos: