No northern leader assured President Goodluck Jonathan of Boko Haram’s preparedness to accept amnesty ahead of Thursday’s inauguration of an amnesty committee, as none of the leaders
admitted contacting the group, the presidency has said.
Presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, said “no person or group” from the region told the president they had spoken to the extremist group, although he did not give details about the processes leading to the setting up of a committee.
“There is no person or group from the north that has come to the government to say we have spoken to our people,” presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, told PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Okupe spoke to PREMIUM TIMES exclusively on Thursday; the same day the president approved a committee to consider the possibility of granting amnesty to the group. The committee is to report to the president in two weeks.
It is not clear if any contact has been established with the group since the committee was named. But Mr. Okupe said the region’s elite, who have for weeks drummed the need for amnesty as the final therapy for the deadly insurgency, have consistently told the president they had no contact whatsoever with the group and its leaders.
“In fact, the leadership in the north is even saying they themselves do not know them, so who do you grant amnesty to? People are not being honest or truthful, and there is no need to divide the country on this issue,” the spokesperson said.
His comments appear to reinforce concerns raised by critics of the government’s amnesty plan, with many urging the government to be clear about the beneficiaries of the offer, and be certain it would be welcomed by a group that has repeatedly warned that it was neither interested in dialogue, nor state pardon.
“It is also crucial to note that leaders of the group have not directly called for it (amnesty), which means that their definition of amnesty may be different from what we may all be thinking and doing,” said a senator representing Plateau state, Gyang Pwajok, in an interview quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria.
“They have always voiced out some of their grievances which include a total rejection of institutions like the police, army, schools, western education and even Nigeria’s secularism.”
Mr. Pwajok said the government should be clear on the beneficiaries of the offer, and reach a “consensus” on how the different interests understand the language of “amnesty”.
Mr. Okupe denied that the president had ruled out the possibility of amnesty in the first place. “The president is not saying no. What he is saying is that there could be amnesty but there has to be some pre-conditions. Amnesty cannot be granted to just any group of persons,” he said.
He tasked northern leaders to take a cue from their Niger Delta counterparts, who he said initiated contact first with militant leaders in the area during the conflict that engulfed the area years back, before reaching to the government to proceed with amnesty.
“The leadership of the north should also help the north and help the government by doing exactly what the leaders of the South South did during the militancy in Niger Delta,” Mr. Okupe said.
“Leaders in the region such as Chief Clark, Alabo Graham Douglas, Alamieyesgha, and our current president who was the Vice president at the time and various other Ijaw leadership went into the creeks and convinced the militants to accept to dialogue with the Federal Government, drop their ammunition and come out.
“They then came back, briefed the president that they have spoken to them and if amnesty is granted to them they will drop their weapons,” he said.
The presidential spokesperson addressed the government’s position on the controversial state pardon granted former Bayelsa governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and former Bank of the North managing director, Shettima Bulama.
He said although he was not aware of the government’s position about the request of the United Kingdom to extradite Mr. Alamieyeseigha to face charges, “but even if the FG refuses I don’t see any big issue in that.
admitted contacting the group, the presidency has said.
Presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, said “no person or group” from the region told the president they had spoken to the extremist group, although he did not give details about the processes leading to the setting up of a committee.“There is no person or group from the north that has come to the government to say we have spoken to our people,” presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, told PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Okupe spoke to PREMIUM TIMES exclusively on Thursday; the same day the president approved a committee to consider the possibility of granting amnesty to the group. The committee is to report to the president in two weeks.
It is not clear if any contact has been established with the group since the committee was named. But Mr. Okupe said the region’s elite, who have for weeks drummed the need for amnesty as the final therapy for the deadly insurgency, have consistently told the president they had no contact whatsoever with the group and its leaders.
“In fact, the leadership in the north is even saying they themselves do not know them, so who do you grant amnesty to? People are not being honest or truthful, and there is no need to divide the country on this issue,” the spokesperson said.
His comments appear to reinforce concerns raised by critics of the government’s amnesty plan, with many urging the government to be clear about the beneficiaries of the offer, and be certain it would be welcomed by a group that has repeatedly warned that it was neither interested in dialogue, nor state pardon.
“It is also crucial to note that leaders of the group have not directly called for it (amnesty), which means that their definition of amnesty may be different from what we may all be thinking and doing,” said a senator representing Plateau state, Gyang Pwajok, in an interview quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria.
“They have always voiced out some of their grievances which include a total rejection of institutions like the police, army, schools, western education and even Nigeria’s secularism.”
Mr. Pwajok said the government should be clear on the beneficiaries of the offer, and reach a “consensus” on how the different interests understand the language of “amnesty”.
Mr. Okupe denied that the president had ruled out the possibility of amnesty in the first place. “The president is not saying no. What he is saying is that there could be amnesty but there has to be some pre-conditions. Amnesty cannot be granted to just any group of persons,” he said.
He tasked northern leaders to take a cue from their Niger Delta counterparts, who he said initiated contact first with militant leaders in the area during the conflict that engulfed the area years back, before reaching to the government to proceed with amnesty.
“The leadership of the north should also help the north and help the government by doing exactly what the leaders of the South South did during the militancy in Niger Delta,” Mr. Okupe said.
“Leaders in the region such as Chief Clark, Alabo Graham Douglas, Alamieyesgha, and our current president who was the Vice president at the time and various other Ijaw leadership went into the creeks and convinced the militants to accept to dialogue with the Federal Government, drop their ammunition and come out.
“They then came back, briefed the president that they have spoken to them and if amnesty is granted to them they will drop their weapons,” he said.
The presidential spokesperson addressed the government’s position on the controversial state pardon granted former Bayelsa governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and former Bank of the North managing director, Shettima Bulama.
He said although he was not aware of the government’s position about the request of the United Kingdom to extradite Mr. Alamieyeseigha to face charges, “but even if the FG refuses I don’t see any big issue in that.