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 emphasized: “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 itthrives on falsehood and deceit? How can a
government continue to speak with discordant tune on a critical issuelike
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 immortalize 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 Australiain 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 BokoHaram 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.
(Please
follow me on twitter @tilevbare.)
