Northern Leaders have called on the President-Elect, Mohammadu Buhari to grant the terrorist group Boko Haram amnesty when he takes over power on May 29.
Their call was contained in a communiqué issued after a two-day conference with the theme: “Security and Governance Challenges in Africa’s largest Democracy,” by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, SCDDD, as part of its “Nigeria Beyond 2015 Project.
The joint statement was signed by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, founder of Savannah Centre, Major General Ishola Williams, Executive Secretary, Pan-African Strategic and Peace Research Group, PAN-AFSTRAG, Justice Mohammed Uwais (chairman of the occasion) and Ambassador Abdullahi Omaki, Executive Director of the Savannah Centre.
The Leaders pleaded with the Federal Government to “to expedite action on the compensation of victims of Boko Haram terrorism and insurgency through the established and funded Victims’ Support Fund.”
The statement called “for the establishment of a special economic programme for the affected states of the North-East, focusing on rehabilitation, resettlement and reconstruction,’’ and also the need for “the governors of the North-East States and indeed of the entire North, on the necessity for a blueprint that addresses the issues of vocational and skills-acquisition education for the youths.’’
Some of the leaders present at the event include the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Mohammed Uwais and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, former Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Gambari, National Security Adviser, NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki, rtd, (represented by Ambassador C.L. Olaseinde); the Secretary, Borno State Elders’ Forum, BSEF, Dr Bulama Gubio (who represented Governor Kashim Shettima); Dr. Zakariya Ousmane Ramadene of N’djamena, Chad. Prof. Abubakar Momoh, DG, Electoral Institute, INEC, Abuja and Professor Habu Galadima, director research, NIPSS, Jos, Plateau State.
Meanwhile Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has described the call as unacceptable and insulting.
In a Twitter post through his handle @realFFK, Fani-Kayode said “The call by some northern leaders that Gen. Buhari should grant Boko Haram Members amnesty when he comes to power is insulting and unacceptable.”
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