Minister heads c’ttee

. Victims to receive compensation
Members of the Boko Haram sect will be given a 60-day window within which to disarm under a Federal Government dialogue and amnesty programme announced yesterday.
President Goodluck Jonathan named a 26-member committee, headed by Special Duties Minister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, which will engage in talks with the sect and come up with a disarmament and amnesty framework.
The committee will also develop a support programme for victims of the Boko Haram crisis as well as produce mechanisms to address the underlying causes of insurgencies, presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said in a statement in Abuja yesterday.
Members of the committee include Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, former Federal permanent secretary Hakeem Baba Ahmed, former external affairs minister Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, secretary to the Borno State Government Amb. Baba Ahmed Jidda, leader of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, former Senator Abubakar Sodangi, former Kaduna State governor Senator Ahmed Makarfi, House of Representatives member Mohammed Bello Matawalle and Amb. Zakari Ibrahim.
Others are human rights activist Shehu Sani, Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed, Malam Adamu S. Ladan, Dr. Joseph Golwa, secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) retired Col. Musa Shehu, AVM A. I. Shehu, Mr. R. I. Nkemdirim, DIG P. I. Leha, Prof. Nur Alkali, Malam Salihu Abubakar, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Lugga, Barrister Ibrahim Tahir, retired Brig-Gen. Ibrahim Sabo, retired Group Capt. Bilal Bulama, Sheikh Abubakar Tureta, and a committee secretary who will be a representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The Presidency statement said: “Following the consideration yesterday (Tuesday) by the National Security Council of the report of the technical committee it set up to review fresh modalities for addressing security challenges in the North, President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the constitution of a Presidential committee to constructively engage key members of Boko Haram and define a comprehensive and workable framework for resolving the crisis of insecurity in the country.
“The committee’s terms of reference will include developing a framework for the granting of amnesty; setting up of a framework through which disarmament could take place within a 60-day time frame; the development of a comprehensive victims’ support programme, and the development of mechanisms to address the underlying causes of insurgencies that will help to prevent future occurrences.”
‘Not likely to work’
Soon after government formed the committee, one of the members Shehu Sani declined his appointment on the grounds that he was not consulted beforehand and that the key people who could help solve the Boko Haram crisis were not included.
“I was not consulted on the issue of amnesty neither was I consulted before the inclusion of my name into the committee. I humbly decline to be part of the committee,” he told Daily Trust by telephone.
Sani said there are essential things that are needed to be done before the constitution of the committee, otherwise it may not achieve any meaningful success.
He urged the Federal Government to release detained women and children of Boko Haram members as a way of encouraging the group to embrace dialogue. He also said government should give access to the National Human Rights Commission and civil rights groups to detained sect members.
Three others named on the amnesty committee also said they were not contacted. Colonel Musa Shehu said at about 4pm yesterday: “I don’t know I’m one of the committee members because nobody contacted me. You are just breaking the news to me.”
Dr. Baba-Ahmed said he was told that he is on the committee around 5pm but that he would not make any comment.
Sheik Lemu similarly said he was not contacted but added he won’t decline to serve on the panel.
The committee was formed two weeks after President Jonathan signalled a change of mind from his initial resistance to consider amnesty for the sect, which calls itself Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah Lid Da’awati Wal Jihad. In reaction to a call by Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar and other Northern leaders last month, Jonathan said there was no way he could grant amnesty to ghosts.
But two weeks ago, the president raised a committee of National Security Council members to study the workability of granting amnesty to the sect, which has waged an insurgency that left thousands dead in the North since 2009.
Reacting to the constitution of the panel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Yahaya Mahmud said it was clear the use of force would not solve the Boko Haram crisis.
“It’s just political and economic, not religious,” he said. “Generally, people have come to believe that there are three different people or groups including the followers of late Muhammad Yusuf, criminals acting under the name Boko Haram and people being used to de-stabilise the North and the country.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which has been among the most vociferous opponents of granting amnesty to Boko Haram, said its position remains unchanged. When contacted for comments yesterday, CAN secretary general Musa Asake said: “I saw the news on TV this evening. We won’t say anything for now. But our position has not changed.”
For his part, spokesman for the Northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Sunday Oibe, said: “We have also just heard about the constitution of the committee so we will want to know the details and the composition of the committee before we make any comment.”
Arms proliferation committee
President Jonathan also yesterday constituted another committee on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, according to Abati, “in keeping with his pledge that Nigeria will work with the United Nations and other countries to stem the worrisome proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and their use in creating insecurity and instability in Nigeria and other developing nations.”
The committee is to be headed by Amb. Emmanuel Imohe, with Amb. Martin I. Uhomoibhi, Amb. T. Dan Hart, Amb. Ghali Umar, Amb. B. G. Wakil and Mr. Opelusi Olureti as members. Other members are representatives of the Interior Ministry, National Security Adviser, director-general of the State Security Service (SSS), National Intelligence Agency, Federal Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence, Defence Intelligence Agency, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Customs Service, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Director, International Organisations Department of the Foreign Affairs Ministry who will serve as secretary.
Both committees will be inaugurated by President Jonathan at on Wednesday at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.