Proponents of amnesty for members of the Boko Haram sect have been admonished against politicization of the issue but rather take a cue from how the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta was brokered by initiating contacts with the leadership of the sect and convince them to come out in the open and dialogue with government.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs,Dr Doyin Okupe gave this admonition today in a Press Statement issued in Abuja.
According to Dr Okupe, President Goodluck Jonathan has nothing to gain from the prolongation of the wanton destruction of life and property by members of the sect and expects leaders of thought in the affected states to prevail on the leadership of the sect to abandon their destructive pursuit and embrace dialogue like the militants in the Niger Delta did before amnesty was granted.
Okupe warned against politicizing the issue of amnesty and using it to blackmail the President whose over riding desire is the peaceful and harmonious co existence of all Nigerians irrespective of their social,religious and political leanings.
“There is therefore no need for the over politicization of the demand for Amnesty, nor to blackmail the President for taking strong, patriotic but contrary views to those of some of our respected elders. Such, sometimes is the nature of statecraft and in many parts of the civilized world, situation like this are handled with equanimity and further deepening of consultation, certainly not acrimonious misunderstanding or open hatred.
The true expectation is that our respected leaders will go back to the drawing board and increase internal consultation and networking with the aim of reaching out to the leadership of the insurgents and convincing them to do the needful and step out to be counted.”
The president’s aide recalled that prominent leaders of the Niger Delta such as former Information Minister,Edwin Clark,former Governor Diepreye Alameieyeseigha,former Minister for Culture Alabo Graham Douglas and a few others co operated fully with the late President Musa Yar’Adua by visiting militants camps and persuading them to lay down their arms and allow government address their grievances in a civilized manner.
“This was the way and manner a successful amnesty programme was hatched and effected. Many local leaders and stakeholders bought into the government’s amnesty programme. It was carefully planned, properly structured and effectively implemented with co-operation and willing support of Elders, Stakeholders and well known and nationally acknowledged open leadership of the Militants. These include: Asari Dokubo, Boyloaf, Tompolo, Atake Tom, Tamuno George, Soboma George to mention a few. They were clearly identified and they negotiated openly and transparently with the government.”
It is for these reasons that there is need for a great restraint when we advocate for Amnesty for those amongst us, who have actually, through criminality engaged in wanton destruction of innocent lives, public and private properties; especially when their activities are based on ethnic and religious ideologies that actually strike at the foundation of our mutual co-existence. We also need to be mindful that we have other ethnic militias in the country who have remained essentially peaceful, and who may by these calls for amnesty be encouraged to now pursue violence.
Grandstanding, undue politicization, blackmail and insincerity will not help us as a Nation. We are a Nation of strong-willed, socio culturally well differentiated society, with long standing historical ties, and we are one people with a clear destiny to lead Africa and the World. We must at times like this show exemplary mutual respect, affinity and cohesion strong enough to lift us together as one strong and united people, out of this quagmire and National misadventure.
BS