By: Sunday Oyewole President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday received the final report of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North.
The committee which was inaugurated in April and expected to turn in its report in August, had requested for three months extension to enable it complete its assignment.
Surprisingly, the committee while submitting its final report to the President at the State House admitted failure in the discharge of its assignment after six months.
The committee Chairman and Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Kabiru-Turaki, told President Jonathan that they were unable to meet with the leadership of Boko Haram throughout.
Turaki, however hastened to add that they met with some of the insurgents who believe in dialogue option and identified with the committee.
Owing to its inability to establish contact with the leadership of the deadly Islamist sect, Boko Haram, the committee therefore, recommended to President Jonathan to set up an Advisory Committee to further dialogue with the insurgents.
It also recommended the setting up of a Victims Support Fund for victims of insurgency to be administered by a new agency established specifically for the purpose of assisting the victims.
The chairman of the committee, Turaki said, “Some of our difficulties in having a productive dialogue include the refusal of their leaders to submit to dialogue. However many of the key members of the insurgents both in detention and at large have positively responded to contacts and have accepted the dialogue option as capable of full resolution of the conflict”.
The committee also noted that absence of deterrent measures to punish perpetrators of violence has promoted impunity.
It also identified proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country have exacerbating conflicts and circle of violence across the country.
President Jonathan while responding ruled out the option of compensation for victims of the Boko Haram attacks but added that government would assist them one way or the other.
“You have made recommendations, one of them you have suggested the setting up of an advisory committee on continuous dialogue. This I also believe in.
“We always say that even in war situations, finally, people must discuss at the conference table to make sure that people live in peace. Force alone, no matter how, cannot bring peace. People must be willingly ready to leave in peace.
“We agree with you that even though this committee is today winding down its activities, we need to set up a follow up committee that will concentrate on dialogue so that some of these issues you raised, that committee will be able to anchor them properly working with other departments of government.
“We also noted the suggestion about the victims’ support because that is one of the terms of reference; how will government help to see that we can assist. Government is not going to compensate. It is not an issue of compensation but how do we assist people who have suffered to get back to business one or the other”.
The President also assured that the right decisions would be taken in line with the report, saying “incidentally, we have security council meeting because this committee was an offshoot of the security council and we will review some aspects of this report and probably set up a team to look at it and work out a planned programme in terms of implementation of the recommendations”.
While thanking members of the committee, the President noted that “though we can’t say that we have won the war, but listening to the address by the chairman, we believe that the document you have submitted will help us with the follow up action. Finally, we will be able to bring to bring the issue of the excesses of the Boko Haram to a close.
“This is a country that never knew terror. Some countries have been passing through terror for years even before the Boko Haram came on board. But within the short period Boko Haram is operating, globally, it is being classified as one of the most deadly terror groups.
“It is quite unfortunate that the country will get to this level but with your report and the commitment of the security and intelligent services, we believe that we will bring this situation under a reasonable control”.
