We’re Ready For Dialogue With Militant Groups –FG

L-R: Chairman of the Exhibition, Pastor Tony Aduroja, Pastor Joy Amenkhienan, representative of Rivers Governor, Mr Tex Warriboko and Regional Pastor, Christ Embassy, South-South, Nigeria, Rev. Tom Amenkhienan, at the Christ Embassy's 2012 LoveWorld Exhibition in Port Harcourt, on Monday

The Federal Government, has reiterated its
readiness to dialogue with the members of Jama’atu Ahli Sunna lid Da’awati wal
Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram and other aggrieved groups if only they
ceasefire and embrace dialogue.

The Vice President Namadi Sambo made this
call yesterday in Abuja at a National Symposium, organised by
Nasirul-Lahi-Faith Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) with the theme: “Islam and
Peaceful Co-Existence in a Contemporary Multi-Religious Society.”

He said, “it is clear today that the
terrorist attacks are clearly against all segments of our society, which is
uncalled for. I must seize this opportunity to call on all the groups to
ceasefire and come forward for dialogue. Government is ready to discuss.

“History has proven that even wars that are
fought for decades, at the end, are concluded only by dialogue. I am not aware
of any religion in the world that encourages unprovoked and relentless attack
on other people,”  he said

He said President Goodluck Jonathan
led-administration was doing what was humanly possible to tackle the menace of
insecurity occasioned by the activities of militant groups across the country.

Sambo gave the assurance that the activities
of militant groups in the country would not jeopardise government’s effort at
stimulating Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs)

“Our desire to propel Foreign Direct
Investment cannot be jeopardised Insha Allah. We are therefore extending our
hands of friendship to our foreign friends with genuine intentions to come and
do business in Nigeria.

“Such gesture will not only be appreciated,
but will go a long way in strengthening the cordial relationship mutually
shared by our countries.

The vice-president commended the organisers
of the symposium, saying that it would help educate the public on the Islamic
view of peaceful co-existence and the concept of Jihad.

He enumerated the milestone the Goodluck
Jonathan-led government had made toward ensuring the success of the
Transformation Agenda, to include improved electricity supply; education and
transportation system.

In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Dr.
Sa’ad Abubakar, averred that the search for peace and mutual coexistence
remained one of the greatest challenges facing the country.

According to him, impunity has become the
order of the day, while the values of tolerance and moderation which provided
the bedrock of Nigeria’s religious and collective existence are being trampled
on.

“Much worse, the disregard for human life
has not only become rampant, but is increasingly glamourised. “

The Sultan enjoined the Muslim Ummah to
strive at all times to discharge their responsibilities seriously and
effectively and to promote moderation and toleration in the society.

“We must equally open effective channels of
dialogue with all segments of society, including those who hold contrary
opinions to that of our own.

“We must endeavour to resist the urge for
exhibitionism and brinkmanship.

“We must, as a nation, develop a collective
consciousness where the pain of any member of our society regardless of creed
and ethnic origin, shall be the collective pain of all of us.”

He commended NASFAT for its laudable
socio-economic activities in the country.

The National President of NASFAT, Alhaji
Sheriff Yussuf, had earlier explained that the symposium was being organised to
help find solutions to the current security challenges in country.

“Just as NASFAT responded in 2005 with a
National Discourse on Corruption when our collective image as a people was
being soiled by the scourge, this platform today is intended to cleanse the
seeming public mindset that the orchestrated scheme of terrors had been a
campaign being perpetrated by Muslims to impose Islam on the country or as a
mark of hatred against people of other faiths. “

Following the Federal Government’s decision
to dialogue with Boko Haram, Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwabbo has
declared that his administration was ready to dialogue with the religious sect,
Boko Haram for the sake of peace in the country.

He made the revelation yesterday when some
national officers of the party visited him to sympathise with the state over
the incessant attacks by the sect on north-eastern states.

National Organising Secretary of the party,
Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha led the team. Governor Dankwabbo noted that it would
be imperative to dialogue to guarantee peace and development of the state and
the zone.

‘’A lot of lives were lost which are
irreplaceable, property were destroyed and many more challenges. I want to
thank you on behalf of the good people of Gombe state for the concern and to
assure our party, the PDP, that we will do everything possible to shun
violence; we would do everything possible to tolerate dialogue and call on
whoever is ready to dialogue with us in line with the principle of PDP, to
bridge the gap of misunderstanding, so that there would be peace, there will be
progress and there will be development.

I also want to assure you, that we have
taken measures to ensure that some of the victims that lost their property, we
have taken measures to support them, but those who lost their lives, it is most
unfortunate, lives are irreplaceable. But those who lost their property we have
taken some remedial actions to ensure that they didn’t lose, completely’’.

In his remarks, Borno State Governor,
Kashim Shettima warned that the entire north would become inhabitable in the
next five years, if nothing was done urgently to stem the menace of Boko Haram.

‘’For now, we have to do it in our enlightened
self interest, because nobody would stay in northern Nigeria; believe me in the
next five years! Believe me, nobody!! None of us here is prepared to. Somebody
was telling me that he went to greet the Sultan of Sokoto, when he came out,
the area boys came and knocked on his car and were asking for money. If you
refuse to give them, they will scratch your car.”

Another friend was telling me that his wife
and driver were driving in his Prado jeep in Kano. Some boys came and broke the
windscreen and said,’’ that you bastards, you are enjoying the comfort of an
air conditioned car and we are suffering!’’So, the bottom line is poverty”.

National Organising Secretary of the PDP,
who led the team to the two states, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha equally restated
the call for dialogue with the sect, to find lasting solution to the violence
threatening peace in the north.

‘’We believe security is everybody’s
concern; without it, there will be no meaningful development, investors will
never be encouraged to come and put in their fund and the unemployment trend
will then persist, with its associated crime. So, we ask people of goodwill to
come together and dialogue. Even during wars at the end of it all, people must
come round and discuss and we believe that’s the only way out.

The PDP as a party condemns in totality,
violence and terrorism and call on all those, whose responsibility it is, to
take all steps necessary to bring this to an end. We believe enough is enough.
We have been saying that Nigeria deserves to be among the top twenty countries,
by the year 2020 and this would be a mere dream, as long as peace isn’t with
us.’’