The Northern Elders’ Forum has blamed
the emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states for the impasse
being faced by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful
Resolution of Security Challenges in Northern Nigeria, which is meant to
implement amnesty for Boko Haram members.
The chairman of the committee and
Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, had said on Thursday,
in Kaduna, that the committee had no clues about how to meet with the
leadership of the Boko Haram insurgents.
Turaki pleaded for help from members of the public or anyone with links to the sect to initiate the dialogue process.
In response, the spokesman for NEF, Dr.
Paul Unongo, said the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck
Jonathan had made it impossible for the amnesty to succeed.
He said, “The people who have been
lobbying the President for a robust ‘kill-and-go’ approach to a very
difficult situation, seem to have the President’s ear and it’s
incredible that Jonathan agreed to negotiate with Boko Haram members and
then abandoned it and escalated the situation by declaring state of
emergency.
“By declaring state of emergency, he
presented a difficult situation to Boko Haram members and even those of
us who were willing to encourage the people (insurgents) to come out and
talk. So, some of us have been disabled and compromised. But we support
our President, since he thinks the solution is in the use of force and
killing everybody. I don’t think the Army and people, who are telling
Mr. President to kill and keep on killing, will be able to resolve this
crisis.”
Unongo added that the northern elders
felt sidelined and were hoping that the President would get advisers,
who would advise him properly.
“He is applying a lot of force and there
is a lot of bitterness rising among the people of those areas. He needs
to get people that will sincerely advise him. For now, he has
introduced a policy and we want to see how that policy can produce a
satisfactory solution and produce peace in this part of Nigeria,” he
said.
Unongo noted that the declaration of
emergency rule went against the procedure of establishing an amnesty
programme, the way it was done during the Niger Delta militancy.
He said, “How can Boko Haram members
come out now? Is that what was done in the case of the Niger Delta
insurgents? Jonathan was involved in the process of negotiation with the
Niger Delta insurgents at the risk of his life. I wish he hadn’t
declared the state of emergency. He is the President. If he feels Boko
Haram have been too stubborn and he wants to kill them all. I wish him
luck.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
What paul talking, they werw granted amnesty and they said they are the one to grant us amnesty, so what do you want GEj to do fold his hand and wacht boko haram kill all the enosent nigerians? Let the NEC go sit down, were are they when their muslem brother are killing enoset nigerians?
ReplyDeleteNo amnesty for Boko Haram Elders
ReplyDeleteWhat a very rediculous human being! The more they talk, the more they expose themselves as sponsors of Boko Haram. Pls, Unongo, you and your Co- elders should have mercy on your own people! Have pity on the people you claim to lead. Leave Politics and do wha Allah requires!
ReplyDeleteUnongo are u a boko haram memeber or the sponsor try to reason whell before ur next comment.
ReplyDeleteBut they refused amnesty so what do NEC people want GJ to do? I get a feeling that these people where hoping to use the BK to subdue GJ but they now realise it has backfired. The north is very lucky that they are still getting fed with Niger delta money for doing nothing but being a total parasite, politically and economically. Infact you cannot find a more ungrateful regressive arrogant set of elites that ruling a region.
ReplyDeleteOmo seee English nw... @1st commentator, dis is an outright murder of english language. This site is beginning to disgust me.
ReplyDelete4get abt some1 else's grammar,make ur own contribution.
DeleteAbi o. Mumu thats the only tin he has to say, so joblesssss. My advice for jona, forget this idiots and do your work since they refuse amnesty
ReplyDelete