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.