Sheathe swords as Ramadan progresses, Tukur begs Boko Haram •Says Jonathan ready for peace with leaders

Immediate past national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and current Ambassador-at-large, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has again pleaded with members of the dreaded terroristic group, Boko Haram to use the opportunity of the Ramadan season to sheathe swords and embrace peace in the national interest Alhaji Tukur made the plea during a meeting with some Islamic clerics paid him a visit on Sunday night, at his residence in Abuja, to break fast with him. He told the clerics led by Uztaz Abdulrahman Yelwa, based in Minna Niger State that it was time Muslims across the country, begun to rise in unison to chant down the activities of terrorism in Nigeria. According to him, “Islam, according to the Holy Qur’an is a religion of peace. We can only propagate the religion through committed evangelism to unbelievers as demonstrated by the great
prophets who served Allah diligently and truthfully. “I appeal to our brothers who are aggrieved to stop killing in the name of Islam. Their sponsors too should avoid Allah’s judgment on the last day on the raging art of killing. It is not too late for them to sheathe swords. This is the month of Ramadan; the killings must stop from now,”he stated. Alhaji Tukur reminded the insurgents of several appeals to them by President Goodluck Jonathan for dialogue, calling on the leaders to seize the opportunities of the season to open a channel of communication with the Nigerian government without delay. Said he, “We have all been eager for dialogue with them. I have personally been emphasising that dialogue can end the spate of insurgency in this country if allowed to happen. I think the ball is now in the court of the aggrieved insurgents to take the initiative, and the government will be there as always.’’ Alhaji Tukur assured that himself and other Nigerians would not mind to get involved in the dialogue process out of their eagerness to end the problem of terrorism in Nigeria. “If we are to dialogue, we must know who and who to dialogue with. President Jonathan who I know, will offer any rational sacrifice to end the problem of insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria. So let the leaders come out to talk with the government,” he said .