Shehu Sani: Jonathan is not ready to end Boko Haram insurgency

Calls for Release of Boko Haram Detainees in exchange for Chibok Giels

The president of the Civil Rights Congress, Shehu Sani, has described the steps outlined by the Federal Government as inconsistent and incapable of bringing the insurgents to the negotiation table. The statement is coming just 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan declared measures to end insurgency in the country.

The Civil rights Activist who had been involved in two previous attempts to negotiate for peace between the government and the insurgents, said the Federal Government had never been serious in finding a lasting solution to the rising surge of terrorism in the north.

According to him, Federal Government does not want to negotiate with the sect so as not to be seen as a weak government and surrendering to insurgents. He told newsmen yesterday that “it was the insincerity of the Federal Government to accept and implement the conditions previously given by the sect that had given rise to the attacks being launched by the group, saying that if the government had accepted the agreement brokered by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and himself with the sect members in Maiduguri, the problem of insurgency would not have escalated to its present deadly form.“
Sani stated that the recommendations made by his committee that was headed by Ahmed Datti on how to end insurgency was based on their interactions with members of the sect, but was however jettisoned by the Presidency, which at the time boasted that it was on top of the situation and was determined to crush the sect.

Sani also said “the Chibok girls would also have been freed two weeks ago but for the last minute cancellation of negotiations by President Jonathan that the discussion should be discontinued.

The Activist, who stated he was still willing to lead the way in further negotiations with the sect, however, expressed doubts about the willingness of the members of the sect to come out and accept amnesty given the many barricade already erected by the government against the sect.

He pointed out that with a price tag on the head of the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau from the Nigerian Government, the United States, the declaration of a state of emergency in most of the states where the sect members are and the deployment of troops to go after them, it was impossible for the members to come out and discuss with government”. Sani added

Sani asked the Federal Government to call a security conference of Northern Islamic clerics, who can hold dialogue with the Boko Haram leadership and guarantee the release of the girls in exchange for detained Boko Haram members.
“The Muslim clerics should be brought into that kind of conference and the President should give them a waiver to reach out to the Boko Haram group and work out the possibility of getting these girls back.

“In return, the President should take an inventory of all persons, who have been in detention on suspicion of aiding, abetting or participating in this insurgency.

“He should divide the insurgents into three groups- the high chiefs, the foot soldiers and their family members.

“People who have been kept in detention should be exchanged for these Chibok girls. He should hand over these people to these Islamic clerics who would then meet the Boko Haram and collect the girls back,” Sani stated.

Source