Boko Haram Started Recent Negotiations Says Pres. GEJ’s Aide

President Goodluck Jonathan’s Principal Secretary, Ambassador Hassan Tukur, who’s among government officials leading negotiations that could see the government broker a pact with the Boko Haram insurgents, has disclosed it was the Islamic sect that wrote to the government of Chad it was ready for a meaningful dialogue which will spell a finish to insurgency in the country.

The government official who made this known in an interview informed that the fundamentalist Islamic sect through its network contacted the government of Chad about its pursuit of peace, necessitating Chad to take a moment to verify perhaps the initiative was from the particular group that’s arrived referred to as Boko Haram.

Noting that FG has been discussing with Boko Haram since 2013, he remarked that it was following this verification, that the neighboring country contacted the Nigerian government “to see if we will sit back to dialogue with this particular organisation so that individuals can end this insurgency.”
In the language of Tukur, “we discussed with them under the mediation of President Idriss Deby of Chad and we agreed on several things. One of many things agreed on is that there must be a ceasefire between the business referred to as the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Hidda’Awati Wal-Jihad and the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

The aide to Jonathan, who was simply emphatic to a ceasefire has indeed been reached proceeded to speak on why such pact took this long , “If a nation like Nigeria is under this type of crisis and folks are dying, no government will sit back and fold its arms and President Goodluck Jonathan has said it time and again he can take every measure to be sure that this insurgency is taken to an end. He didn’t preclude anything, including dialogue, including mediation that you know well he create a  committee about one-and-a-half years back underneath the Minister of Special Duties.

“The committee went round, visited the prisons, discussed with members of the insurgency which are within our prisons; the Ulamas, that’s the Islamic clerics that taught these individuals which can be in this organisation; discussed with traditional rulers in the country ; governors, anybody that matters, anybody that may assist the FG bring this crisis to an end.

“The tracking committee went round and discussed with them. So, this can be a continuation of the federal government’s effort to see that individuals bring this insurgency to an end. And when it is taking devote N’Djamena or any area of the world, it generally does not matter so long as we sit back and address this insurgency, and address these issues and bring this crisis to a finish,” he said.
While admitting that those negotiating privately with  Boko Haram came together with their demands, he asserted that the federal government’s delegation was resolute that none of the problems they raised will be viewed unless there’s a cessation of hostilities. The FG negotiator noted that the sect members weren’t offered anything except being assured “that what they bring to the table eventually, the government is favorably disposed to consider the whole problem, such that it will be addressed.”

He revealed that those on the delegation of government were made to understand at the time of the negotiation that the abducted schoolgirls are alive and well, noting that the date due to their actual release would “hopefully” be determined by the following week when negotiation with the insurgents is likely to resume.