According to Black’s Law Dictionary (8th Edition) amnesty is defined as “a pardon extended by the government to a group or class of persons, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of persons who are subject to trial but have not yet been convicted. Unlike an ordinary pardon, amnesty is usually addressed to crimes against state sovereignty-that is, to political offenses with respect to which forgivingness is deemed more expedient for the public welfare than prosecution and punishment”
It is from the foregoing that one must commend the President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for taking the bold step towards finding an amicable resolution to the sectarian crises that has claimed the lives of many innocent Nigerians and brought about wanton destruction of properties.
It is equally instructive to note that the Federal Government’s move in tinkering with the idea of amnesty is that, it recognized the potency of public opinion as the call for amnesty came from no less a person, the Sultan of Sokoto His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar. Other prominent Nigerians have been lending their voices and their call is born out of the need to end the insurgence in Northern Nigeria in particular and the country in general.
Opting for amnesty should not be seen as weakness on the part of Government but rather as an option of peace in the interest of all Nigerians; especially Nigerians who live in states where the group have inflicted pains. We must also salute our security agents for their gallantry at providing security for the citizenry at the risk of their own lives and with some dying in the process, these category have paid the supreme price of loss of their lives to keep our dear country safe they are no doubt our heroes.
The call for amnesty is a sharp departure from the use of force, because some are of the opinion that the government is not doing enough to curtail the insurgences which have been destroying the nation. If our security agents especially the Joint Task Force (JTF) has not been up and doing, the resultant effect would have been very colossal than what we have seen so far not to talk of the huge money that insecurity have been gulping.
If amnesty will end this hostility to the Nigerian state and return her to the part of peace and tranquillity, let us give it a trial after all there is no harm in trial. The current spate of insecurity in the North in particular is a call for concern by all well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians.
There can be no meaningful development in the atmosphere of chaos, bombing, killings and destruction of properties. Peace no doubt is a sine qau non to development, because no serious investors will invest his/her money in an environment that is bedevilled by crises.
With the way things are going, if urgent steps are not taken to address the insurgence, Northern economy may face serious jeopardy or nosedived, because even now, the communal leaving of the region is fast eroding, many businesses have folded up, there is palpable fear all over as pupils and their teachers are afraid of going to schools for fear of been attacked. It is so bad that even worshiping places are not safe anymore; it is in view of this that an urgent solution to these crises must be proffered.
As the Amnesty Committee cross the “T’s” and dot the “I’s” in this onerous assignment the following suggestions are hereby recommended:
- In view of the rejection of the proposed amnesty programme by the sect leader Malam Abubarkar Shekau, everything humanly possible through the act of persuasion and mediation should be adopted by northern leaders to ensure that the amnesty talk is embraced by the sect members and the dialogue/talk see the light of day.
- Northern Governors, honest and patriotic people like the traditional rulers, religious leaders, former heads of States and imminent sons and daughters of northern extraction as well as opinion leaders should be carried along and their inputs collated and considered.
- Government should consider rebuilding all worshiping centres affected during the crises.
- Government should consider the release of the sect members, their children and wives being held in prison custody across the country
- Similarly, government should consider giving compensations to families who lost their dear ones and properties since the brutal commencement of the activities of the sect in order to assuage/ameliorate their hardship
- A dedicated Amnesty Commission to administer or carry out the policy implementation should be set up.
- Accountability and transparency in the management of the amnesty resources should be the watchword of the Committee.
In the same vein, the Boko Haram sect when they eventually consent to amnesty; should be very reasonable in their demands. They must ensure they lay down their arms and ammunitions, and to demonstrate their willingness to embrace amnesty, they should ensure an immediate ceasefire, they should be vanguard of peace during and after amnesty for a peaceful and harmonious co-existence of all of us. This is very important so that they will in the long run prove those who are cynical wrong.
Meanwhile, the Northern Governors should complement the efforts of the Federal Government in the pre and post amnesty talk by provisions of shelters, basic amenities and means of livelihood to the sect members and the poor teeming youths in the region, its equally important to warn the political class to desist forthwith from arming the innocent youths for their selfish ambition.
Despite the rejection of the amnesty policy by the spiritual leader of Jamatul Ahlus Sunnati lil Daawati wal Jihad Malam Abubakar Shekau which is most unfortunate, the purported rejection should not discourage government from its good intentions. It behove on Northern leaders and the Amnesty Committee to redouble their efforts as well as make spirited efforts that will make Malam Shekau and its members to have a rethink and embrace the policy wholeheartedly for as Albert Einstein posited “peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding”
Furthermore, in a time like this, there is really no price that is too much to pay for peace to return to our dear country. For all those opposing this move on the assumption that the sect members are faceless, this is farther from the truth, because security agents have been able to apprehend some of the sect members in the past and some of them are still in custody till date.
It then follows that the sect members are not faceless but they are in mask and amnesty will undoubtedly unmask them, and as to the killings and destruction brought upon the country by Boko Haram members which is callous, unfortunate and condemnable that some are finding difficult to stomach, if we continue to nurse the pain in our heart without activating the spirit of forgiveness as contained in our Holy Books, this can be counter-productive and in the word of Mahatma Gandhi “an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind”.
It is heart-warming that the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ohaneze Ndi Igbo and other prominent Nigerians have thrown their weight behind the Federal Government on the proposed amnesty.
Finally, I call on all Nigerians irrespective of religion, political affiliation to avoid sentiment but support government efforts at finding a lasting solution to the insecurity in our country that we may once again witness a peaceful, harmonious and united Nigeria.
God bless Nigeria.
COMRADE AMEH MONDAY,
Is a Public Affairs Analyst,
Email: ashu_uma @yahoo.com