Tanimu, who doubles as Minister of Special Duties, after briefing the diplomatic community in Abuja, on the efforts by his committee to resolve the security crisis in the North, was asked by journalists if he had established contact with Shekau, who recently disclaimed the minister’s announcement that his committee had negotiated a ceasefire agreement with the insurgents.
ZX '
Rather than respond to the question, Turaki became evasive.
Turaki had earlier told the diplomats that his committee was currently ‘critically dialoguing’ with the leadership of the sect, assuring them that given the ongoing talks with the sect, a ceasefire agreement was likely to be reached within the two-month extension granted the committee to complete its assignment.
He, however, became evasive and visibly angry when journalists, after the meeting, sought to know if was discussing with Shekau.
He said: “I have responded to it severally. We can’t go on and be speaking on the same issue everyday now. Much as I want to be speaking with the press, you yourselves must be mature in the way you do things. I speak on something today, I speak on it tomorrow and next tomorrow and you want me to speak on it again. There must be decorum. You as stakeholders, what are you doing to solve the problems?”
The minister added that articles in the media have not encouraged dialogue and that the media have not contributed in any way to resolve the issues.
Responding to queries on the continued relevance of the committee and why the terrorist attacks have continued despite assurances from the committee that it had negotiated a ceasefire agreement with the sect, Turaki insisted he would no longer comment.
He added: “This is a moot issue now. We have addressed it severally. I don’t want to comment on this issue again. Is there any country in the world where the issue of terrorism has been solved within the establishment of committee? There is none, take even the case of Northern Ireland, where the agreement of ceasefire has been written more than two decades ago, is the issue of terrorism not still there?
“The issue of terrorism is not something you solve within a day particularly the kind of terrorism we have in Nigeria where you have a lot of elements that are masquerading into it. So, it is something that has a lot of dimensions.”
Earlier at his briefing of the diplomats, the minister admitted that it was difficult to commence dialogue with the sect as the committee had to work hard to establish trust and build confidence.
He recalled that some vulnerable people; the wives and children of sect members who were in detention were released alongside those who cases could not be established against them to show good faith.
His Foreign Affairs counterparts, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, said the meeting was convened due to the interest of some members of the diplomatic community in the assignment of the committee.
source: Thisday Live
No comments:
Post a Comment