By Abubakar Alkali Sokoto
Runjin Sambo
Sokoto
Email; alkalizai@yahoo.com
The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alh. Muhammad Saad Abubakar (111) made his timing perfectly. It was on Tuesday 5th March at the central council meeting of the Jamaatul Nasril Islam (JNI) in Kaduna that the Amir-ul-Momineen called for an amnesty (pardon) to be granted to the members of the Jamatul Ahlul Sunnah Liddaawati Wal Jihad a.k.a Boko haram. The call by his Eminence came less than 48 hours before President Jonathan was due to visit Maiduguri on Thursday 8th March 2013. It is incontrovertible that the Amir – ul Momineen made the call for amnesty in his capacity as a father of the nation and one who truly and passionately believes in one corporate and indivisible Nigeria. His eminence clearly believes that he has an obligation to assist the government of the day in any capacity that he can to bring an end to the present insecurity debacle that is threatening the very existence of our dear country Nigeria.
That date 8th March 2013 was Mr President’s date with history when Nigerians expected him to do his own part by declaring an unconditional amnesty for Boko haram and thereby setting the foundation for an end to the insecurity problem in Nigeria. The significance of the sultan’s call is in the opportunity afforded by Mr President’s visit to Maiduguri. The opportunity was for Mr President to use the visit to declare an unconditional amnesty for Boko haram just as late President YarAdua genuinely offered and implemented amnesty for President Jonathan’s kinsmen, the Niger Delta fighters. What better avenue to announce an amnesty for Boko haram than Maiduguri, the hotbed headquarters and centre of gravity of the Boko haram insurgency. Alas Mr President missed that golden opportunity. True to type, instead of grabbing that chance with open hands, the president moved in the opposite direction, denying amnesty for Boko haram and dismissing the motion for amnesty on the grounds that Boko haram are ‘Ghosts’. The amnesty programme for the Niger Delta militants succeeded because late President YarAdua was sincere in his resolve to solve the problem. But is President Jonathan sincere on amnesty for Boko haram? Late President YarAdua once stated that the activities of the Niger Delta fighters were giving him sleepless nights. Can that be said of President Jonathan on Boko haram? Are activities of Boko haram giving President Jonathan sleepless nights? Or doesn’t he give a damn? President Jonathan while addressing the Nigerian community in far away South Korea last year, stated that people should understand that the Boko haram attacks affect only the Northern part of Nigeria.
Is this why he is treating the issue the way he is? President Jonathan pursued the Niger Delta amnesty with vigour and seriousness. Why is he treating the Boko haram issue in a cavalier manner? Late President YarAdua solved the Niger Delta problem without setting up a single committee. Why is it that President Jonathan keeps setting up committee after committee after committee on the Boko haram issue and at the end of the day, he never implements the recommendation of any of these committees? Mr President set up the Ambassador Galtimari committee A in 2011 to propose solutions to the Boko haram issue and even gave the committee 2 weeks to submit their report as a show of ‘seriousness’ on his part. Respected members of the committee did their work and submitted their report to the President where they recommended dialogue and amnesty for Boko haram. Instead of implementing the report and possibly saving the several lives that were lost afterwards, the president kept that report for almost a year after which he set up committee B to look at the recommendations of the Galtimari report and issue a ‘white paper’. Committee B issued the white paper and that was the end of story. The President never acted on it. Or is Mr President thinking of setting up another committee to review the white paper. Is it fair to say that Mr President is playing the ostrich with the Boko haram issue and with all intents and purposes, is not genuine on the Boko haram issue and will not do to Boko haram what late YarAdua did to his brothers, the Niger delta militants?
Northern leaders who met Mr President last week went with a proposal for setting up of an amnesty commission as a way out but the president opted for a committee on amnesty for Boko haram. Why did the president prefer a committee to a commission? The committee is prone and susceptible to interference while the commission would not and would even be independent even of the judiciary and its report will be legally binding. The president cannot touch the work of a commission but he can for the committee. Are we on another round of committees on the Boko haram issue? By his actions in setting up committees at every opportunity, the president is giving legitimacy to the claim by the opposition parties that he lacks ideas to steer the ship of state hence he resorts to setting up committees to look at every issue no matter how minor that issue is.
The opposition parties claim that President Jonathan is running a government ‘by committees. When the Northern elders met him last year with their initial proposal, it took Mr President 8 months before he invited them again to deliberate on the proposal they issued to him. He told them that he needed time (8 Months) to study their proposal. Why is Mr President passing the buck and using the Boko haram issue to blackmail Northern leaders including General Buhari by telling them to call Boko haram to order while he continues to enjoy the comfort of Aso rock? Why didn’t the president blackmail the leaders of the south-south in the run-up to the amnesty for Niger Delta militants by telling them to call the Niger Delta militants to order? Is it the constitutional duty of Northern leaders to provide security or that of the president? Do Gen. Buhari and other Northern leaders control the police, the army and other security forces in Nigeria? Mr President is simply saying that the Northern elders should go and solve the Boko haram issue while he sits pretty in Aso rock and enjoy the comfort of the presidential villa. The president is there to solve problems and should not ran away from them or tell someone to solve the problem. Mr president is saying to the Northern elders that it is their problem not his. Mr President was even quoted as saying during one of the senseless killing spree in Plateau state that the problem between muslims and Christians in Plateau state didn’t start during his tenure as president hence people should not expect him to solve the problem. Late YarAdua confronted the problem posed by the Niger Delta fighters and he solved it. If he had ran away from it and blackmailed the elders in the Niger Delta to solve it, would the problem have been solved? Your guess is as good as mine.
The BBC on its commentary stated that it is not clear if President Jonathan is genuinely interested in amnesty for Boko haram OR he is simply trying to appease his detractors in the north. Is the president only interested in whiling away time by giving an empty amnesty promise to the Northern elders? It is clear that after the call by the Sultan of Sokoto, a groundswell of opinion followed in support an amnesty for Boko haram. From Adamawa to Akwa Ibom, Maiduguri to Lagos, Katsina to Port Harcourt, Sokoto to Seme, every Nigerian is calling for an end to these senseless killings that often times consume innocent civilians including women and children. Mr President has already set up committee A on the amnesty for Boko haram. Is this the end of the committee rounds? Is there going to be committee B to review the report of committee A and then committee C to issue white paper and so on? Can’t we solve this problem without any having to set up any committee? Elementary statecraft teaches us that when there is tension regarding a particular problem and the leader doesn’t want to solve the problem, the leader simply creates a committee to douse tension but actually not intent to solve the problem. Soon enough, people will either forget or get tired of the debate on that issue or both and then another issue hits the centre stage and everyone’s attention is shifted to another direction and life goes on and on. Do we really have the time for committees as we inch towards election year 2015 with election campaigns beginning next year? For one, Boko haram has not rejected negotiations since the beginning of this carnage. We read in the news that Boko haram even gave proposal for talks on 2 occasions which were never responded to by the federal government.
I ask these pertinent questions as a result of my very strong belief that Nigeria, our dear country is greater than all of us without exception. Senseless killing of the innocent is something all of us should abhor. Nobody should take anyone’s life. And this the reason why some of us who have an unquestionable love and passion for our country Nigeria will continue to take part in this debate and contribute on how we can urgently put an end to the killings presently going on in Nigeria and solve the problem of insecurity in our country. These days some of us who have taken it upon ourselves to say the truth about how to solve the Boko haram problem no longer give a damn about being branded as Boko haram apologists simply because we are proffering solutions to this nagging problem which is threatening the corporate existence of our country more than even the civil war of 1966. Indeed we are at the last gasp, the last bus stop and the full stop in our search for solution to Boko haram. An amnesty for Boko haram is the final option to bring an end to this seemingly intractable quagmire called Boko haram.
Mr President is fond of repeating his Boko haram ‘Ghosts’ mantra at every opportunity. During his visit to Yobe he said Boko haram are ‘ghosts’ Last year, he told AFP that Boko haram should come out because you cannot talk to people you don’t know but 2 weeks ago Mr Doyin Okupe, the president’s attack dog and bully in-chief who often speaks for the commander in chief told the nation that Mr president moved round the creeks to bring out the Niger Delta militants when President YarAdua offered them amnesty. If President Jonathan moved round creeks to smoke out Niger Delta militants, why can’t he either directly or indirectly use the machinery of government to move round the North and smoke out Boko haram? How come the president was able to smoke out Niger Delta militants but he couldn’t for Boko haram? If language barrier is the issue, why can’t the president assign his vice to handle the Boko haram issue as President YarAdua assigned him to take charge of the amnesty for Niger Delta fighters?
It is very difficult to comprehend how Mr President and C-in-C who controls the nation’s security forces could call Boko haram ghosts when thousands of individuals are being arrested and detained by the nation’s security forces on the allegation that they are Boko haram. Remember no major operation of our security forces is conducted without the consent of the president who is the commander-in-chief. The nation’s security forces have also placed cash rewards on the heads of some individuals that they (our security forces) call Boko haram members. Are these also ghosts? How could anybody provide information that could lead to the arrest of a ghost? The national security adviser Major Sambo Dasuki (rtd) last year and few months after his appointment told Nigerians that he has mobile phone numbers of key Boko haram members. Do these phone numbers belong to ghosts or is it yet another ploy by the PDP (Papa Deceive Pikin) to deceive us by claiming that the party has done so well in its 13 years of misrule in Nigeria that telephone services have now been extended to ghosts? That even ghosts have mobile phones in Nigeria?
The onus is on the federal government to create the right atmosphere for the Boko haram to come out. The right atmosphere was created by late YarAdua hence the Niger Delta militants came out for talks. The late YarAdua even sent private jets to ferry Militant leaders such as Ateke Tom, Government Tompolo, Asar Dokubo to the presidential villa Aso rock where the late president shaked their hands and had dinner with them. Why can’t President Jonathan do same for Boko haram? Why can’t the president establish direct contact with the leadership of Boko haram so that he will know the facts? Now the president is acting on intermediary information which is not always true but a direct contact with Boko haram will enable the president to get the facts to enable him make the right decisions. The NSA already has phone numbers of Boko haram members. It is very difficult to believe that Boko haram will come out when today we read that the president has told them to come out and identify themselves then tomorrow we hear that several alleged members of the sect have been arrested or killed. The understanding here is that the government wants Boko haram members to come out so that the security forces will wipe them out. With all due respect to the president, it will be a wild goose chase for the government to expect Boko haram to come out after what happened to them in 2009 when the government asked them to come out only for the government to kill virtually all of them. President YarAdua never arrested even one Niger Delta fighter in the run-up to the amnesty he granted the Niger Delta militants. The right weapon to smoke Boko haram out will be the amnesty offer and release of some of their members as they have always demanded. Yes to release some moderate Boko haram members, why not? Hamid karzai, the Afghan president is releasing Taliban detainees on daily basis in exchange for peace and with the consent of the U.S. President Karzai went to Qatar last week to hold talks with the Taliban and a Taliban office is being proposed in Doha. All these are for peace. There is no price that is too much for peace.
It is also imperative that we understand the amnesty for Boko haram as compared to the amnesty for Niger Delta. Niger Delta militants wanted money and other financial benefits while Boko haram has never asked for financial benefits. Everyone knows that all Boko haram ever asked for was freedom of worship and association NOT MONEY. So the amnesty for Boko haram could well be the cheapest amnesty in history. However, the amnesty offer must also include the victims of the attacks. All people genuinely identified to have suffered from either Boko haram attacks or the often highhandedness of the security forces- the JTF and STF- should be compensated, rehabilitated and reintegrated back into the society.
While other countries bedevilled by violence and insurgencies are moving away from using force as a solution and resorting to dialogue and negotiation so as to find lasting peace, Nigeria is hinged on the use of force as a solution to this cankerworm. This has led to the gradual militialisation, alshabaabin and subsequent talibanisation of the Nigerian state. Going forward, unless the Boko haram problem is solved and fast, there will be more ethnic militia groups taking up arms as we see in other violence prone countries. When that happens, our dear country could well be another Somalia as cautioned by Gen. T.Y Danjuma last year. The impending proliferation of armed militia groups across the length and bread of the Nigerian state will be on the basis of self defence, having their own share of the national cake or both. Most of these likely groups will drive their inspiration from the Niger Delta fighters or Boko haram and may be tempted to do a copy cat of the tactics of Boko haram. Unless the Boko haram problem is resolved, the proliferation of armed militia groups is certain and will be more pronounced around central Nigeria particularly in Plateau state where there is an ongoing altercation and killings between the Muslim and Christian communities and also between the Fulani herdsmen and beroms. The proliferation of these armed ethnic militia’s will also be pronounced around the Niger Delta where there is an ongoing internal conflict amongst the militants over sharing of the national cake they get from the federal government . A case in sight is the recent killing of 12 policemen at the burial of a militant leader known as The young shall grow. The grudge of the militants was that this man The young shall grow usually sits on their amnesty allocation from the federal government. Another volatile area for armed groups is Lagos where the Odua people’s congress (OPC) is certain to use its access to state resources in the Odua states to stock pile arms and ammunitions for ‘ self defence. Whether the OPC can take on more established groups like Boko haram in the event of a confrontation will be left to be seen. I pray that doesn’t happen.
Military option is not the solution to Boko haram. The option is negotiation and dialogue through an unconditional amnesty offer. The use of force has only worsened matters as there has only been an upsurge of Boko haram attacks on daily basis. There is nowhere in history where force has resolved a guerrilla war. There is the popular saying by the respected former American secretary of state Henry Kissinger that a conventional army can never defeat a guerrilla force. It was President Jonathan that actually handled the amnesty for the Niger Delta fighters and made a big success out of it. But why is he wary when it comes to Boko haram? Or is it true the widely held belief that only a Northerner as president can grant amnesty? We all know the campaign of violence and terrorism that the Niger Delta fighters waged against our country. They shut down oil installations, kidnapping and killing in their wake. Yet they were given amnesty. Why not Boko haram? Mr President, let’s stop all this committee merry go round and act fast because Nigerians are dying on daily basis. It is also clear that the mood of the nation is that amnesty should be offered to book haram.
Our religious leaders both Muslim and Christian leaders such as the revered Sultan of Sokoto and the respected John Onaiyekan the catholic Archbishop of Abuja, the PDP, ACN, CPC, ANPP, our politicians, youth groups, Southern elders, Northern elders, Former first lady Turai YarAdua who made her own contributions in granting amnesty to Niger Delta militants and virtually every Nigerian is calling for an end to this problem by offering amnesty to Boko haram as was done to the Niger Delta fighters. The U.S has not only voiced its support for amnesty for Boko haram but it also said it is ready to work with Nigeria in bringing succour and lessening deprivation particularly in Northern Nigeria where poverty is more pronounced. It is true that what the people want is not only what the president should but what he must do. If President Jonathan cannot solve the problem of insecurity in Nigeria, then he should take the honourable and easy way out and RESIGN. Government is not a personal property. The people are the government. Or do we have to wait until 2015 when the PDP is defeated at the general elections by the APC before security of lives and property is restored in Nigeria. Do we have to wait until President Jonathan hands over to Gen Buhari before the Boko haram problem is solved and we can sleep with our 2 eyes closed in Nigeria? Gen Buhari is the last man standing against corruption in Nigeria. All our leaders have been knocked down and out by corruption except Gen Buhari. We all know that Boko haram was brought about in the first place by corruption and greed amongst our leaders.
The solution at this critical time is not a series of endless committees but an immediate declaration by Mr President for a ceasefire. The president can come out tomorrow on national TV and announce a 3 months moratorium for a ceasefire. During this period, the security forces should not arrest or harass any alleged member of Boko haram and the Boko haram should not fire a single shot or set up any bombs and also put their entire bomb making factories under lock and key. These 3 months will give time for a negotiated settlement between the federal government and Boko haram during which all issues will be addressed and agreed upon. Another thing Mr president needs to do is to set up a ministry of Northern affairs just as the late YarAdua set up a ministry of Niger Delta affairs so as to fast track development in the North and keep the youths busy. Setting up a ministry of Northern Affairs is the right thing to do in order to put in place a long term plan for peace in the North. Last year, the U.S has advised President Jonathan to set up the Ministry for Northern affairs.
Despite the seemingly justified apprehensions about the president’s sincerity regarding amnesty for Boko haram, there still exists a window of hope that Mr President will fulfil his promise and offer an unconditional amnesty for Boko haram just like was done to his kinsmen, the Niger Delta fighters. As a proud Nigerian and someone who holds his country dear, I sincerely hope that President Jonathan succeeds because if he does, it will be for the good of all of us. However, it is a moral obligation on all of us well-meaning Nigerians to give Mr President all the support and prayers to enable him succeed. My candid opinion is that Mr President should be wary of fifth columnists and agents of retrogression that are working against peace in Nigeria. They are experts in the art of misleading the president for their own selfish gains and they ran away from the president and leave him to his own faith when the chips are down. The present state of insecurity in Nigeria brought about majorly by Boko haram attacks has turned several individuals into billionaires overnight. These individuals are ready to do whatever it takes to maintain the present state of insecurity in Nigeria so that they will continue to enjoy the huge budgetary allocation to the security sector in the budget. They want Boko haram to continue so that they will make more money from government.
Insecurity has been allocated the largest share in the last 2 budgets. These corporate fraudsters are now sponsoring media campaigns against amnesty for Boko haram. With all due respect to the Christian community in Nigeria, my candid opinion is that Pastor Ayo ‘private jet’ Oritsejafor should be arrested and prosecuted for inciting religious hatred and division in Nigeria. Pastor Oritsejafor, who has confessed to being a drug addict during the celebration of his 40th anniversary as a born again Christian, is using his position as president of the Christian association of Nigeria (CAN) to destabilise the country and keep us in perpetual violence and high level insecurity. Pastor Oritsejafor by his actions and unguarded utterances, is further balkanising our country by setting Christians against Muslims. Whenever any recipe for peace is advanced, Pastor Oritsejafor will oppose it and use his office as CAN president to scuttle it by misinforming President Jonathan. Although CAN is meant to be a purely religious organisation, Pastor Oritsejafor has turned it (CAN) into an unregistered political party and an appendage of the PDP. The CAN under Oritsejafor has long concluded its acquisition talks with the PDP. The Pastor has turned into a full blown war monger and a risk to the corporate existence of Nigeria so much so that some analysts believe that there are 2 forces working to disintegrate Nigeria: Boko haram and Ayo Oritsejafor. Pastor Oritsejafor is now at the forefront of the campaign against amnesty for Boko haram to achieve his ambition of disintegrating Nigeria. Even when Pastor Oritsejafor was asked how he came about owning his private jet in this era of the fight against corruption and more so when he was heard several times in his sermons speaking against corruption, he joined by his wife Helen, simply giggled and had a prolonged laugh at the question. I believe that the Nigerian Christian community can do better than having Pastor Oritsejafor as the president of CAN. Where are those respected Christian leaders such as Archbishop Onaiyekan of Abuja Diocess? Those disciplined leaders who speak with decorum and dignity?
It is fair to believe that President Jonathan may still write his name in gold by offering amnesty to Boko haram and ensuring that the amnesty succeeds just like he did for his kinsmen the Niger Delta militants. Boko haram should also save the Nation further bloodshed by accepting the amnesty offer because there is no war that ends on the battle front but on the negotiating table. The federal government has fired the first shot on the amnesty offer to Boko haram. In response to the amnesty offer, Imam Abubakar Shekau the leader of Boko haram said they should be the ones to grant amnesty to the government. Imam Shekau can also set his own machinery within his own ministry to consider offering their own amnesty as when there is an altercation or disagreement between 2 factions, it is imperative that both factions pardon each other. We need peace in Nigeria and if that is the way to peace so be it.