Jonathan empowers new   panel to dialogue with Boko Haram

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PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan  has constituted an eight-member committee to work outside the public view towards negotiating for ceasefire, amnesty and demobilisation of members of Boko Haram.

  The constitution of the panel is one of the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North headed by Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN).

  The Kabiru Turaki-led committee had while submitting its report to President Jonathan in Abuja on November 5, 2013 recommended, among others, the setting up of an advisory committee on continuous dialogues that will have powers to advise the President on all matters related to dialogue and resolution or crisis. It also recommended the setting up of a Victims Support Fund for casualties of insurgency to be administered by a new agency established specifically to assist the victims.

  Presidency sources told The Guardian that President Jonathan, in opting for multi-faceted approach towards solving the problem of insecurity, especially in the North-East, empowered the panel to immediately begin work towards possible amnesty and disarmament of the insurgents.

  Though the name Boko Haram was not specifically mentioned in one of the letters of appointment to the panel members sighted by The Guardian, copious reference was made to ‘insurgencies’ and ‘North.’

  The letter of appointment from the Office of Secretary to Government of the Federation (OSGF) with title, “Appointment as a member of the President’s committee on continuous dialogue and resolution challenges in North” reads: “I am pleased to inform you that the President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has approved the constitution of the committee on continuous dialogue and resolution of security challenges in the North.”

  The letter listed the terms of reference of the panel to include:

• To continue from where the previous committee stopped in its task and particularly engage any group that may be ready for dialogue;

• To develop together with relevant agencies of government a frame-work for the granting of amnesty;

• To develop and implement together with relevant agencies of government the frame-work for disarmament; and

• To develop with the relevant agencies of government a comprehensive victims support programme and strategies for its implementation to further the development of strategies and mechanisms to address the underlining causes of insurgencies to prevent reoccurrence.”

  “Your appointment is at the pleasure of Mr. President”, the letter concluded.

  But a Presidency official explained to The Guardian that “this is a small administrative committee that would help and work   outside media or public view. There is supposed to be no publicity about this at all. You can say they are supposed to work underground. Their job is to be done outside public glare, to continue the process of engagement with members of the Boko Haram sect. Their job is covert, not overt. With any publicity and naming of members of the committee, the essence will be defeated.”