Former Head of State, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari
| credits:
| credits:
A
former Head of State, Gen.Muhammadu Buhari, has come under intense
pressure to accept to play a mediatory role in Boko Haram’s peace
overture to the Federal Government.
The sect had on Thursday named Buhari,
Dr. Shettima Monguno; a former Yobe State Governor, Senator Bukar
Ibrahim; Ambassador Gaji Galtimari; and Aisha Alkali Wakil, and her
husband, Alkali as “trusted Nigerians” it was willing to negotiate on
its behalf in Saudi Arabia.
Apart from the negotiations, it also
demanded for the arrest of ex-Borno State Governor Modu Sheriff,
compensation for families of its members killed in the course of its
terrorist activities and the rebuilding of its mosques by the Federal
Government as its conditions for a ceasefire.
Shortly after the sect’s pronouncement
second-in-command, Abu Mohammed in Maiduguri, eminent Nigerians and
groups have called on Buhari not to spurn the offer if it was all that
was needed to “restore peace to Nigeria.”
Most prominent among them was a former
Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who implored Nigerians not to
misconstrue the intention of Boko Haram’s request for Buhari on the
negotiation table.
Gowon told SUNDAY PUNCH in a telephone interview that if it would bring lasting peace to the country, Buhari should be given a chance.
He said Buhari was not going to be their
spokesman, but that he would only help to ensure that peace reigned
again in the country.
He said, “If Buhari leading the talks
would lead to lasting peace, we should give him the chance. People
should not misconstrue the intention by saying that Buhari knows them or
their leaders. That I think, may not be the intention.”
The Northern States Governors Forum on
Saturday also applauded Federal Government’s acceptance of the offer of
negotiation by Boko Haram.
A statement by the forum made available
to Channels Television in Minna, the Niger state capital, stated that
“dialogue rather than use of force, would help find a lasting solution
to the worsening insecurity of lives and property in the country.”
The House of Representatives also said the sect call for a dialogue was a welcome development.
The Speaker of the House, Aminu
Tambuwal, told newsmen on Saturday at Ila-Orangun, Osun State, that the
House would support any step that could bring peace to the country.
“If the sect is now accepting that there
should be a kind of peace pact with the Federal Government, I am sure
the House will encourage that.
“There will be a dialogue and it may not
necessarily have to be all the conditions given will be met. I think
government should be engaged, and see how best the issues can be
resolved.’’
Similarly, the President of the Ohaneze
Ndigbo, Ralph Uwechue, urged Buhari and others nominated for the
mediatory roles to accept it for the restoration of peace to the
country.
Uwechue said, “Buhari is a senior
citizen and an elder statesman, I think he and others would do whatever
would help solve the crisis. We are only interested in seeing the end of
the violence. So, the people nominated should accept the offer if that
would solve the problem. But the Federal Government should verify how
authentic this offer from Boko Haram is.”
In the same vein, the Secretary of the
Borno State Elders’ Forum, Dr. Bulama Gubio, said the forum was happy
that the sect had accepted its appeal.
Gubio urged the Federal Government and those nominated as mediators to set in motion, the rapprochement process without delay.
He said, “We have been appealing to both
Federal Government and the sect. We have been appealing to them to drop
their weapons in order to stop the killing of innocent women and
children. They have said they are ready to listen to us. The choice of
the mediators was totally their own volition. We did not choose anybody
for them. The people they choose are those they can trust.”
Gubio said the ball was now in the court
of the Federal Government to kick-start the peace talks by getting the
people the sect nominated to the negotiation table.
“It’s not enough for the Federal
Government to accept the offer. Government has to set things in motion.
Something has to start somewhere. If government does not take action,
the situation will remain the same. We want Buhari, Moguno and others to
accept the role so that this whole issue can be resolved.”
Convener, Committee of Concerned
Northern Professionals, Politicians, Academics and Businessmen, Dr.
Junaid Mohammed, also told one of correspondents that Buhari could
accept the offer as long as he put aside his political ambition.
He said, “The negotiators must be people
who are neutral and acceptable not only to the sect but to other
stakeholders. They must be men of integrity who have apolitical status.
Buhari must put his political career on hold pending while the
negotiation lasts.
“Any politician can use the process to work towards actualising certain political ambitions.”
A former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, is also one of those pushing for dialogue.
Gana on Saturday said, “The Government
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should take this matter very
seriously because the most important way to have peace is through
dialogue and resolution. Every crisis is not solved by violence; it is
finally solved by a resolution.
“If there are good proposals that have
been put forward for peace, we pray that they should be given very
serious consideration and we pray that God will give the leadership the
wisdom to resolve how to move Nigeria forward. If there are good
suggestions, they shouldn’t be thrown away; they should be considered
because you never know what key may open the door.”
But the National Democratic Coalition,
however, warned the Federal Government not to allow the Boko Haram
dictate the pace of the peace talk.
Mr Ayo Opadokun, the General Secretary of NADECO, told the News Agency of Nigeria
that the demand by the sect for peace talks in Saudi Arabia, among
other demands, “was a curious demand’’ and an attempt by the “tail to
wag the head.”
Opadokun, said even though he did not
disapprove of dialogue with the group, such talks should be held on the
right terms and conditions.
“The government must tread softly,” he said.
He said if the government acceded to the
demands of Boko Haram, it could serve as a precedent which could propel
other aggrieved groups to employ the same tactics.
However, the Convener, National
Patriotic Movement, Senator Femi Okurounmu, criticised the nomination of
Buhari as one of the mediators for the sect. He said the threats by him
that Nigeria would be ungovernable, if the 2011 presidential election
was manipulated, had raised tension in the land.
The former Secretary-General of the pan
Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, said, “I am extremely baffled
by Buhari’s expected role in the negotiation. Why did the sect nominate
Buhari? Why should Buhari accept to take up the responsibility? Why will
the government accept him as part of the negotiators?”
Also, youths under the aegis of the Niger Delta Youth Parliament have urged Buhari to distance himself from the Boko Haram sect.
The youths expressed shock that members
of the sect could pick a former Head of State and presidential candidate
to mediate between it and the Federal Government.
National Coordinator of the NDYP, Mr.
Imoh Okoko, said, “Buhari should reject his nomination as a mediator for
Boko Haram. He should also distance himself from the sect, which has
been tagged a terrorist group. It would be an insult for a former head
of state and presidential candidate to be seen negotiating on behalf of a
terrorist group.
“President Jonathan should not negotiate
with Boko Haram members. If he (Jonathan) goes ahead to negotiate with
them, then he should be ready to negotiate with MASSOB and other
aggrieved groups.
“Again, if the President agrees to
negotiate with members of Boko Haram, he would be indirectly saying that
the Federal Government cannot guarantee the security of Nigerians.”
No comments:
Post a Comment