Turaki doesn’t know the meaning of ceasefire

Turaki doesn’t know the meaning of ceasefire —Rev. Abare Kallah, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Gombe State Chapter.


What is ceasefire in this aspect? He doesn’t know the meaning of ceasefire; meaning after Ramadan, the thing continues, right? I mean, the Federal Government has not succeeded. The issue of Emergency rule in the three states has failed if that is the case. Well, I can see two things happening. We have divergent opinions.

On one hand, the federal government is taking active measures by using force to deal with Boko Haram issue. On the other hand again, it is saying you have an avenue to dialogue with to see if you can overcome this problem.

These are really the two things I can see but in whatever form, one thing I know that is clear to me is that there are also lots of contradictions if there is no maintenance of consistency from the Federal Government authority.

From Day one, there are a lot of calls from different angles on the issue of dialogue with Boko Haram, you did not yield to it. Later there was call of amnesty for Boko Haram and Boko Haram said they are the ones to give amnesty to the federal government.

So, you find it very difficult to understand what is really happening and who are these Boko Haram members that can take hostage the federal government. Now one of things I see clearly; that there is a lot of politics attached to it despite the religious inclination that people are talking about.

But as religious leader, that is not the major issue. Religion issue in the history of the world has never become a major cause of conflict because all of us have one or two claims to the preaching of peace and peaceful co-existence.

So, there is a way we can we tell ourselves the truth but politicians should be able to say something truthful. What is happening in other countries like Egypt is really a lesson for us to understand that definitely it is the political class that is causing all the confusion in the world.

For me, I just want to tell you that there is high contradiction inspite the involvement of military three states of the north and yet there is no open confusion by the Boko

Harma inspite of the claims and testimonies that they have bombarded their camps and other trainings grounds yet we have not seen practical proofs that yes these people are open for dialogue; then something is still on the ground that is yet to be revealed.

Bottomline

Most analysts believe that it has been timpani of contradictions on the part of the Federal Government. They also believe that a situation where the government on one breath pronounces the groups illegal and on another breath resumes talks with them amounts to double standard and totally jeopardizes its efforts to stamp out terrorisms on the shores of the country.

Again, the military operations in the three States of the north might not have handsomely paid off judging from the recent killing in Yobe State.

This, they said leaves them wondering how much blood of innocent Nigerians the authorities would want to see spilled before genuine commitment can be made to protect the lives of citizens which is the primary function of every government.

They posited however that one of the ways of achieving that is to stop giving unnecessary palliatives to any perceived terrorist organizations and deal with them according, such that will make the Chairman, Boko Haram Amnesty Committee and Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Tanimu Musa to surrender his Chairmanship.