The Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna may have incurred the wrath of the Presidency for announcing that President Goodluck Jonathan has granted amnesty to members of the dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram, should they embrace peace.
Speaking Thursday at a special event marking Democracy Day at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, the Minister had disclosed that the President had agreed to grant amnesty to the sect members, urging them to embrace it.
Haruna had said, “President Goodluck 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 to amnesty programme”.
However, fielding questions from State House Correspondents on Saturday, Presidential Media Adviser, Dr Reuben Abati, was short of saying the Minister was on his own.
According to him, the President never used the word ‘amnesty’ in his speeches either in the Democracy Day broadcast or at the International Conference Centre where the Minister spoke.
Abati said, “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”.
Prompt News recalls that President Jonathan had in his May 29 broadcast also said: “For our citizens who have joined hands with Al Qaeda and international terrorists in the misguided belief that violence can possibly solve their problems, our doors remain open to them for dialogue and reconciliation, if they renounce terrorism and embrace peace.
“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-radicalization, rehabilitation and re-integration into the broader society.
“The unity and stability of the country as well as the protection of lives and property are non-negotiable. I’ve instructed our security forces to launch a full-scale operation to put an end to the impunity of terrorists on our soil. ”
“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.”
