Controversy trails Boko Haram’s dialogue proposal Posted by: Tony Akowe, Kaduna and Adesoji Adeniyi Posted date: November 05, 2012 In: Featured, News | comment : 48 SHOULD the Federal Government dialogue with Islamic sect Boko Haram, which last Thursday waved the olive branch? This was the poser yesterday amid reactions to the sect’s proposal for talks wit h the government. The Senate endorsed the talks; former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Solomon Lar gave conditions for the dialogue and Oodua Peoples Congress founder Dr. Frederick Fasehun rejected the sect’s choice of former military leader Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as mediator. Last Thursday, Boko Haram opted for dialogue with the government and proposed Saudi Arabia as the venue. It picked Buhari, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno, Ambassador Gaji Galtimari, Mrs Aisha Alkali Wakil and her husband Alkali Wakil and former Yobe State Governor, Senator Abba Bukar Ibrahim as mediators. Ibrahim said yesterday that he had not been contacted by the sect. Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Publicity Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, responding to a text message by our reporter, said the Senate was delighted to read about the sect’s proposal for dialogue. He said: “The Senate will support any measure that will bring peace to all parts of Nigeria.” Ibrahim, Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Land and Urban Development said since he had not been contacted, he “cannot say anything based on newspaper publication or television broadcast.” The senator said a similar thing happened in the past when some newspapers published that the sect named him and others to dialogue with the government on their behalf. He said: “The earlier one ended without any result. One group was reported to have called for dialogue and allegedly named some people to negotiate on its behalf. “Another group denied it and the whole thing ended up just like that. I cannot say any thing based on publication by newspapers or television broadcast. “Nobody has contacted me for any dialogue. “But I hope that this time around, this one will work and produce result. “I hope that this one will work and not end up like the earlier one. “That is what most Nigerians have been praying for, a dialogue to ensure peace in the country.” Lar said the talks should take place only after members of the group revealed their identity. He told reporters in Kaduna that talking with the group when it has chosen to remain faceless does not make any meaning. Lar said: “I disagree completely (with dialogue) unless they show their identity that Mr. X, Y, Z is Boko Haram. For them to name some people to be their representatives, who are they? They are faceless people, let them come out and reveal their identity”. He said it was not enough for the sect to nominate people to negotiate on its behalf, urging them to identify themselves rather than remain faceless. Lar wondered whether Buhari, Monguno and others picked as mediators have accepted the job, asking: “Has Gen. Buhari agreed? Is Gen. Buhari their representative? Is Ali Monguno their representative? You see, I didn’t want to mention names, but if they (Buhari and Monguno) said yes, they are their (Boko Haram’s) representatives, we would know. “But have they agreed to represent them? Let them come out. During the Niger Delta militancy, some people came out and said they were the leaders of the militants. That was very reasonable and that was how the late President Umar Yar’Adua was able to tackle the problem of militancy in the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta militants were not faceless like Boko Haram. Why didn’t Boko Haram follow the example of the militants by showing their faces?” he said. Fasehun, who spoke after a public lecture by the Ife Business School in honour of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, urged the government not to allow Gen. Buhari to be in the negotiating team in the interest of peace and tranquility. Buhari, he said, was not qualified to negotiate on behalf of Nigerians or the government. Fasehun, who agreed that the government should dialogue with the sect, said Gen. Buhari’s presence in the negotiating team, would aggravate things. Referring to Gen. Buhari’s alleged disaffection with the government over his defeat by President Goodluck Jonathan in last year presidential election, Fasehun said the former military leader could not represent the interest of the government and Nigerians well in the negotiating team. “Buhari should not be part of the negotiations because he has a serious grouse with the present administration. His grouse is because he was not elected the president of Nigeria. How can such a fellow represent the interest of the government and the good people of this country if he’s part of those that will negotiate and dialogue with Boko Haram. “I would rather advise the Federal Government to set up a formidable team comprising responsible Nigerians to dialogue with the sect if the government wants to end terrorism and insecurity. Also, the government should be civilised in its discussion with the sect members to ensure absolute peace in the land. The dialogue between the Federal Government and the sect, if well handled would bring about peace in the country.” source. the Nation