The Presidency yesterday insisted that there was an ongoing dialogue
with the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, while assuring Nigerians of good
results, he also pleads for their support.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben
Abati, revealed to news men that,those who thought such dialogue
involved face to face meeting in which government officials and members
of the Boko Haram sect sit on opposite sides of a table missed the point
in such a delicate issue.
He said the Federal Government focus on tackling terrorism was
through back room channels of reaching the members of the Boko Haram
sect and through multi-level, constructive interventions aimed at
addressing ‘a difficult issue that is multifarious’. Abati stated that
all what President Goodluck Jonathan was asking from Nigerians as he
tackled the issue through the multi-faceted levels was support.
According to him, “when government says it is already talking to Boko
Haram, the form of that dialogue must be properly understood. I think a
lot of people are under the impression that the dialogue involves a
situation whereby government officials are sitting on one side, Boko
Haram persons are sitting on the other side in an air-conditioned room
and there are negotiations across the table. That is not the form of the
dialogue.
The form of the dialogue is that back room channels are being used to
reach across with the sole objective of understanding what exactly the
grievances of these persons are, what exactly can be done to resolve the
crises, in the overall best interest of ensuring peace and stability in
Nigeria and the security of lifves and property. And all of this is
consistent with the position of Mr. President. So what is called
dialogue is at many levels: through back room channels and through
multi-level, constructive interventions to address a difficult issue
that is multifarious,” he said.
The sect otherwise known as, Jamaatu ahlis sunnah lil daawati wal
jiha, had last week denied engaging in any talks with representatives of
the Federal Government, stating that the earlier press statement
confirming an ongoing dialogue by one Abu Muhammad, who claimed to be
the second in command to the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau was false.
Abati stated that, “one thing that is noteworthy is that the Boko
Haram spokesperson made it clear that they were prepared to go a step
further to ensure that persons who are using the name of Boko Haram for
political and criminal purposes are identified and checked. What that
original statement indicated was that indeed Boko Haram has many faces.
It confirms that this thing called Boko Haram is such a multi-faceted
phenomenon. The minister of information has already stated the true
situation on two occasions. “First in an interview, second through a
press release, namely that the Federal Government is involved in
dialogue with Boko Haram.”
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