Having declared state of emergency in three troubled states in the northern part of Nigeria, of which the declaration seemingly becoming futile, the federal government, according to report from Nigerian Tribune, on Thursday, begged members of the insurgent groups in the country, who were yet to accept its dialogue option to, as good Muslims, use the occasion of the current sallah celebrations to irrevocably embrace the dialogue initiative and come to negotiating table, so as to ensure a peaceful end to the crisis in the North.
The government, while making the plea, assured that the ongoing discussions with members of the insurgent groups would be intensified in the coming days, as it hoped more insurgents would accept the dialogue option.
Chairman of the presidential committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of the security challenges in the North, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu, insisted that the committee had already made progress in the discharge of its mandate, including recommending the release of innocent women and children detained by security agents which, he said, helped to ease tension and win the trust of members of the insurgent groups.
In a sallah message signed by his special assistant on media, Mr Okey Muogbo, the minister noted that members of the committee were fully aware of the enormous challenges in the dialogue process, adding that as patriotic Nigerians, they were fully committed to the task of ensuring that peace returned to the North and, by extension, the whole country.
The minister, however, argued that the search for a permanent solution to the security challenges in the North required the efforts and commitment of all citizens.
Assuring of the commitment of the committee to intensify discussions with the insurgent groups, so as to quickly end insurgency in the North, Turaki urged for collaboration of all citizens in the quest to achieve results.
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has commended the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration for constituting the committee on the security challenges of the North, saying those who were calling for the scrapping of the committee were enemies of peace.
The Sultan, in his Eid-el-Fitr speech on Thursday, at his palace in Sokoto, admonished Nigerians to give the committee the necessary support to succeed in its onerous assignment.
The traditional ruler said this was necessary, in view of the fact that peace could only be achieved through constructive dialogue, just as he assured of the readiness of his Sultanate council to give the committee all the support it needed.
“It is important to note that the issue of security is fundamental to all of us. We, therefore, implore all to be vigilant and report any suspicious element or substance to the nearest security agencies and leaders,” he said.
He appealed to Muslims and Christians to live in accordance with the dictates of their religions, by shunning provocative statements that could lead to violence.
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