By Theophilus Ilevbare
Never mind the barefaced
denial from Dr. Reuben Abati, Presidential Spokesman that the Commander-in-Chief,
President Goodluck Jonathan, did not offer the Islamist group, Boko Haram,
amnesty.
On democracy day, we
heard the speech of the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Boni Haruna, loud
and clear; and should anyone be in doubt, here are his words, verbatim: “President
Goodluck Jonathan has declared amnesty for members of the Boko Haram sect.”
The minister added
that, “Series of integration programmes have been lined up for the members of
the sect who would surrender their arms and embrace peace.”
Reiterating his
earlier declaration, he emphasised: “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.”
To
all intent and purpose, every line of that statement by the minister on behalf
of the federal government was denied by Reuben Abati. How low can an
administration sink when it thrives on falsehood and deceit? How can a
government continue to speak with discordant tune on a critical issue like
national security that requires a clear and emphatic position? Who is fooling
who?
When
will this government show some responsibility, sincerity of purpose, courage,
seriousness and true leadership to begin to actually lead? How is the citizenry
expected to support the fight against terrorism when the government does not
even know what it wants? We know that should Abubakar Shekau (Boko Haram
leader) contact Mr. President this very moment requesting for amnesty, this
administration will grant it.
What
is the implication of this for the ongoing fight against the insurgents? Is
this how we will immortalise our armed forces for the sacrifice and ultimate
price they are paying in Nigeria's north east? Is this how we will honour the
many innocent men, women and children Boko Haram has visited with untimely
death?
Government
deliberately made plans for such declaration not to come from Mr. President to
create the impression that he remains ruthless in his stand against the
religious extremists.
The greatest
disservice we can do to the lives that are being lost to the Haramite’s machetes,
guns and bombs, is to, in one fell swoop, blot away their atrocities and reward
them with billions, turning Shekau and his Amirs – as he calls his generals – to
the latest Tompolos, Boyloafs, Ateke Toms and Asari-Dokubos in town who now
waltz the corridors of power.
The proclamation of
amnesty is nothing new. For as much as we know, since last year, the
government's amnesty offer has been on the table. Any attempt to declare
amnesty for the vicious group now or in the nearest future will throw up more
questions than answers like: When did Boko Haram request for amnesty?
Why is the President
offering what wasn't requested even in the face of escalating bloodshed? Does
he want to feign ignorance that the Islamist sect bluntly rejected his first
amnesty offer? What makes him think they have changed their stance? Has the
Commander-in-Chief lost confidence in the ability of the Nigerian security
operatives to effectively wipe out the fundamentalists? Who are the sponsors of
this terror groups in Nigeria? Why is it taking so long for the government to expose
them? Or are they bigger than the country?
The emptiness and indiscretion
of that pronouncement by Mr Haruna was laid bare as the government had hitherto
made an offer of amnesty to the terrorists through the Presidential Committee
on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Conflict in the North Eastern part of
Nigeria. Their offer of amnesty is still on the table.
So why declare
amnesty again for Boko Haram when they spat on the face of the government by
stating unequivocally and categorically that they don’t need amnesty but the
government should instead, plead for amnesty from them. The government still
doesn’t get it that these terrorists don’t flinch at the thought of getting
billions from government as amnesty package.
In a desperate and
clumsy bid to bring the terrorists to the negotiation table, the government is
offering amnesty to faceless people - ghosts. Such ignominious gesture is
tantamount to ‘radicalising’ the youths across the country to think that the
way to get government's attention is to pick up arms against the state.
We say no,
to all forms of bestiality of our youths, which this amnesty charade is all
about. It defies every logic and rationale that the FG even contemplated
amnesty to faceless terrorists, mindless killers and maniacs that have sent
over 15,000 Nigerians to their graves since their Jihad began. More than 4,000
of that figure have being killed this year alone.
It is foolhardy to think
amnesty can de-radicalise a terrorist. To the Jihadists, terrorism is a way of
life they've come to know, a new religion and message that they are ready to
die for while forcefully propagating. Granting amnesty to Boko Haram is yet
another indication that the Jonathan government is at crossroads. Besides, there
is more politics in this amnesty charade than meets the eye.
The religious
radicals have a warped ideology that everything about Western Education is
forbidden. How then, can government, in the name of amnesty, send Shekau for
instance, to study Aeronautic Engineering in United Kingdom or Medical Science
in Australia in the guise of rehabilitation for integration? I don’t think the
FG has thought this through. Amnesty or any such thing can never completely
dissect this tumor out of the northern community.
Moreover, calling on Boko
Haram members to unconditionally renounce their evil acts and embrace peace and
days later denying that such a call was never made must have heightened the
curiosity and skepticism of the Islamist group over the (in)sincerity of the
government to any peace deal.
Dr. Jonathan, it
appears, wants to exploit the window that the prisoners swap for abducted
Chibok schoolgirls present to negotiate an armistice with the dreaded sect.
Their demand over the Chibok girls should not be misconstrued as amnesty.
Sadly and expectedly,
the present administration has failed to take responsibility for the welfare of
soldiers who daily put their lives in harm's way in the war against terror. Nothing
has been done to rehabilitate the victims of Boko Haram bombings, no one talks
about taking responsibility for the bereaved families of our gallant fallen
heroes in the frontlines, and no one ensures that owners of properties
destroyed are adequately compensated.
Before now, the
government’s position was to crush the marauders with military might but the
war is now beyond the capability and capacity of the Nigerian security
operatives. Though, the posture of FG signifies the carrot and stick approach as
its strategy, it is now glaring to every discerning observer that only the
‘carrot’ approach is now the Jonathan administration’s best bet.
That the President
has buckled yet again shows the FG lacks courage, political will, 21st century
military equipment, personnel and intelligence to challenge and discomfit the Salafist sect headlong. Begging terrorists cap in hand is tantamount to
resigning to fate and handing the initiative of the terror war to the monsters.
They’re now in a position of strength. This is indeed, the impetus they need to
overrun the troubled states. God forbid.
Apparently, we lived
in self-denial that our security operatives were up to the task, or underestimated
the capacity of the enemies to wage a potent, sustained
campaign against the state.
Rewarding terrorism,
militancy and all forms of hooliganism, cultism and brigandage are sure fire highways
to an irrevocable descent to a failed nation. There are handwritings on the
wall that Nigeria is on the road to Yugoslavia, Somalia or Syria.
Victims
of the insurgency will not be impressed. And such victims are many: immediate
and long-term victims, direct and indirect victims, individual and co-operate
victims. Even the terrorists are not impressed; they want a war with the
Nigerian military. They cherish a quick pathway to meet ‘Allah’ should they be
killed in such duels.
Amnesty
to the Haramites is the greatest disservice to the lives lost to the insurgency,
while it takes the assault on the collective psyche of Nigerians to dizzying
heights.
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