A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has warned that the refusal of President Goodluck Jonathan to grant amnesty to terror group, Boko Haram, can plunge the country into another civil war.
Ribadu, who was the presidential candidate for the Action Congress of Nigeria in the 2011 presidential election, spoke on Liberty FM in Kaduna on Saturday.
He urged the President to grant amnesty to the violent Islamist sect for peace to return to the country, saying he (Jonathan) should not claim that the sect members were ghosts.
He argued that with the way things were happening in the country, if nothing was done, “Nigerians will lose Nigeria to a civil war.”
Advising Nigerians against voting for a leader they can not trust, he told Jonathan to “hearken to the voice of the people.”
Ribadu said, “Jonathan was wrong to have said he will not grant amnesty to Boko Haram; he should not fail to protect the people and when people call saying we are tired, we are down; even if it means to dialogue and have an solution to the whole process, he should opt for such.
“You cannot say they are faceless because faceless people do not do things like this. Faceless people cannot be responsible and daily you see them on Facebook. Faceless people cannot be in your custody; ghosts cannot be people that are in the community, people who at a point wanted to dialogue.”
The former EFCC chairman added that a war could be averted “if we come together forgetting about sentiments, about differences and working towards unity and saving the resources of this country because it is only through that that we will be able to achieve peace.”
Ribadu added that the presidential pardon granted former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and others showed that Jonathan was insensitive to the plight of the Nigerian masses.
According to him, it was worrisome for a government that knew nothing about the case to pardon the former governor who was convicted for looting public funds. He argued that the action was a big setback for the fight against corruption in the country.
He said, “The pardon granted Alamieyeseigha and Shettima Bulama by the President is a tragic development. A very unfair action against Nigerians because corruption is our biggest problem and any step taken against the direction of reversing it is a negative development in our own country.
“Our leaders are very insensitive to the ordinary people and very unfair to Nigeria. If you take selfish interest before the interest of the people, personally, as a person who did the work of fighting corruption, they were my own cases and they were extremely very important to me.
“They were the first set of convictions that we recorded and they were significant because they were the first set of cases of convictions in Nigeria since independence. We have never had a governor or a Chief Executive Officer of a bank being convicted for a crime.”
Meanwhile, a coalition of Northern civil society groups, led by Mallam Shehu Sani, also faulted the pardon granted Alamieyeseigha, saying it had made nonsense of the anti-corruption crusade of the Federal Government.
The coalition argued that the pardon granted the late Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua, former Chief of General Staff , Gen. Oladipo Diya and the late Gen.Abdulkareem Adisa was just to give creditability to the exercise.
It said, “What we know very well is that pardon for Alamieyeseigha is unpopular, and President Jonathan has demonstrated over the years to be rewarding corruption and aiding and abetting it.”
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i'm in support of MR PRESIDENT,why will u give amnesty program to terrorist who have killed innocent souls n u expect them to just go freely like that.Abeg forget about party or politic here.tink about this
ReplyDeleteIf bh are pardon and giving amnesty , Charle Oka should be giving amnesty as well
ReplyDeleteMr Anonymous, and u still want these people to continue killing innocent souls? Why are we so blind in this country? He should give a try, had it been he had done it long ago, there shudnt have been more dead toll as now. Nigerian, let's rise up and shine our eyes.. No time.
ReplyDeleteribadu what are you people saying for Gods sake? where in the world have u seen amnesty being guaranted to terrorist? all these indicates ur position as a northener that you will make nigeria ungovernable for president jonathan goodluck.
ReplyDeleteMy people lasting solution needs to be provided for these killing of innocent souls. People who are dying most are SE and SW,our people must not be use as an experiment for terrorism.If amnesty is the solution,let us go for it.People who are involved will not shy away from the truth. It is high time we waked up from our tribal differences.
ReplyDeleteLeave Jonathan alone. how many Governor had been convicted of corruption except alamieseya and Ibori from south south, are there no other Governor from other zone in nigeria who are corrupt. Mrs cecilia Ibru from south south is the only Bank MD tried and convicted, where are others. why is the corruption crusade so loud against south-southerners and corrupt people from other zone are working the street freely and throwing party without no one asking why?
ReplyDeleteNonsence! Nonsence! Nonsence! Ribadu why write in pretence? "faceless pple cannot do things like this" things like what? kill hundreds of persons? mention any country that has ever given amnesty to terrorist? This country is not destined to be one, let us split plzzzzzzzzzzz.
ReplyDeleteThey want amnesty and settlement with billions of Naira, who settles the dead and their dear families...Now the northen elites are seeing it that if these boys are not controlled, that in no time, would become structureless...first they thought it would favor them, now every structure in the north is going down...the northeners knows them, why not call them and tell them to stop, same way Ʊ told them to start...if the North goes, the north would suffer it greatly...let them put their house in order abeg before north becomes a desert!
ReplyDeleteNo amnesty for terrorists!
ReplyDeleteBH has killed and maimed countless innocent lives, destroyed families for no reason other religious bias. Ir yiu grant them amnesty what do you now tell the families of the slain?
Do not compare biger delta militants with BH. I am from the north but I can appreciate what the militants are fighting for, it is even noble and commendable.
But these terrorists called bokoharam do not deserve any amnesty.
Ribadu you just shot yourself in the foot. Thank you for showing us your mindset concerning BH.
There should be no amnesty anymore to any group, Niger delta Militia or BH, because it seems that the only way to get government attention is to resort to crime, and to me amnesty is a reward and senseless motivation encouraging others to spring up. The united state of American don't Negotiate with terrorists, Nigeria has the Military might to subdue this people, if you must make an omlet you must break eggs.
ReplyDeleteThese people calling for amnesty knows the truth but cannot tell the public because internationals are involved and ASO ROCK is far from it. they just want to see who will come out as Boko Haram and also if it will solve the crises. No true muslim or northerner in his right sense will call for any form of negotiation, amnesty or what for these Devils. The destruction so far is too wanton for the north to bear. No matter how highly placed you are, if you try nonsense against these people (BH) you got killed. Remember GOV Kwankwoso of Kano was asked to settle and he refused which lead to their strike in Kano. Gov Lamido of Jigawa was rumoured to have complied which make his state exonerated. Rumour has it as well that Gov Fashola of Lagos once threatened that if Lagos is attacked he will reveal the secrete behind BH. With all these i beleive the call for amnesty is just this type of settlement is disguise on behalf of the entire public.
ReplyDeleteRIBADU MUST HAVE FALLEN FROM BIKE & HIS BRAIN IS HAF CORRECT. AMNESTY 4 TERRORIST? GOD 4BID
ReplyDelete