Fed Govt adopts white paper on Boko Haram committee

By Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja 

Government yesterday approved a White Paper on the report of the Presidential Committee on security challenges in the Northeast.

But it declined to make public the document until after it has been gazetted by the Ministry of Justice.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) reviewed the report of the Abba Moro Committee, which was set up to review the report of the Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari-led Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the Northeast. It was submitted on September 26, last year. The committee was mandated to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the security challenges.

Minister of Interior Moro, who spoke to reporters alongside Minister of Information Labaran Maku at the end of the FEC meeting yesterday, said the government accepted most of the recommendations contained in the Galtimari report. He added that the solutions suggested would be applied to other trouble spots.  

Going by the adoption yesterday, the Federal Government may have settled for dialogue with Boko Haram, given that it is part of the recommendations of the committee. 

Minister of Information Maku said: “In the immediate, I think it is only proper to let you know that government accepted most of the recommendations of the committee that are intended essentially to bring about peace and address some of the issues raised by the members of the sect that have been perpetrating violence in parts of Nigeria. Government, in consideration of the white paper, also realises that some of the issues raised cut across Nigeria and so the measures that will be applied in these areas of the Northeast zone will certainly also apply to other parts of the country.

“For instance, on the issue of indigeneship and settlership, the recommendation of the committee is that government should emulate the situation in Sokoto State where there is no discrimination in terms of education and employment. And so these are issues that affect the lives of Nigerians. Issues and recommendation of creation of employment opportunities were raised and government has accepted to encourage state governments and local governments to collaborate with the Federal Government. It is our hope that by the time these issues are documented and presented. They will address the very basic issues that create agitation in Nigeria that we would have peace, then, economic and political development can take place.”

The Galtimari panel recommended dialogue with Boko Haram.

The executive summary of the report to government urged the Federal Government to consider dialogue once the sect renounces violence.

SOURCE: The Nation, 8 March 2012. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/