Sunday 1 June 2014
Presidency disowns Minister •Over amnesty for Boko Haram
CONFUSION now surrounds the Federal
Government’s purported declaration of amnesty
for members of the Boko Haram sect willing to
renounce terrorism and lay down their arms as
the Presidency appears to have distanced itself
from the declaration made on Thursday by the
Minister of Youths Development, Mr Boni
Haruna.
While Jonathan, had in a nationwide radio and
television address to mark Democracy Day, on
Thursday, ordered full military operation
against terrorists and expressed the willingness
of government to accept full unconditional
renunciation of terror by the insurgents for total
reconciliation, Haruna had gone further to
announce an amnesty for members of the
group.
Jonathan had said, “My government, while
pursuing security measures, will explore all
options, including readiness to accept
unconditional renunciation of violence by
insurgents, and to ensure their de-radicalisation,
rehabilitation and re-integration into the
broader society.”
But in his address at the presidential interaction
with youths on Democracy Day, the minster
said,“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has
also declared amnesty for members of the Boko
Haram sect. Series of integration programmes
have been lined up for the members of the sect
who would surrender their arms and embrace
peace.
“Let me use this opportunity on behalf of the
Federal Government to call on the members of
the Boko Haram sect to embrace the
government’s gesture and key into the amnesty
programme,” he had said.
However, while speaking with State House
correspondents in Abuja on Saturday, the
Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, said the president
never used the word “amnesty”.
The presidential spokesman stated, “Let me
refer you to the speech by the president.
“If you read the speech line by line, you will see
that it contains the very message that the
president wanted to put across and in that
speech, if you look at it, I don’t think the
president used ‘amnesty’.
“Instead, he spoke about those who are willing
to renounce terrorism, those who are willing to
embrace peace. Opportunities have been created
for them through the fact-finding committee,
through the Presidential Committee on
Dialogue and Peaceful Resolutions of Conflict
in the north-eastern part of Nigeria.
“So, I will refer you basically to the speech by
the president,” he said.
Abati also spoke on the meeting hosted by
President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana
attended by President Jonathan in Accra, on
Friday, saying that it deliberated on the
terrorism threat in north-eastern parts of Nigeria
as well as the security situation in northern
Mali.
He said the leaders at the summit agreed to
develop partnership and cooperate more
particularly on intelligence sharing.
The presidential spokesman condemned the
assassination of the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji
Muhammadu Idrissa Timta, by suspected Boko
Haram terrorists.
He revealed that Jonathan was sad at the news
of the assassination.
Abati said, “The president got the news and he
was sad about it, because these terrorists are
threatening the peace and stability of Nigeria.
They are desperate and they have continued to
show that desperation.
“But as the president made it clear in his
Democracy Day broadcast, it is the people of
Nigeria that will prevail, no matter how
desperate the terrorists may be.
“So, the days of peace as the president said in
his speech is assured, because this battle will
not end until it is won and the sustainable
development is fully guaranteed,” Dr Abati
noted.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment