Boko Haram Elements Reach Out for Dialogue - CCC

T
SOURCE:
READ MORE: PRESS RELEASE
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
READ NEXT
he Centre for Crisis Communication
(CCC) which is an independent Non-
Governmental
Organisation, has revealed that some
Boko Haram elements have approached it for
dialogue as a way of ending the seeming
intractable insurgency in parts of the country.
Suspected Boko Haram members
Executive Secretary of the Centre, Air
Commodore Yusuf Anas (retired) who
addressed the press on sundry national
issues including terrorism, cattle rustling,
National Assembly crisis, pipeline vandalism,
kidnapping, armed robbery, Radio Biafra
among others said he and his team were
already in the process of facilitating a
meeting with relevant government agencies.
While expressing support for the declaration
by President Muhammadu Buhari that the
Federal Government was willing to dialogue
with genuine leaders of the terrorist group,
Anas said the new position has become
imperative in view of the fact that military
option alone has failed to resolve the issue.
“The Centre however suggests that such
dialogue should be done with every sense of
caution and responsibility bearing in mind
the previous disappointments that attended
attempts at negotiations.
“Considering the unspeakable atrocities
which the group has visited on Nigeria and
Nigerians, this option is no doubt a hard sell.
However, the recent statement by President
Muhammadu Buhari on government’s
readiness to negotiate with credible members
of the sect has rekindled the hope for
dialogue.
“The Centre views this gesture as good. It has
opened a window of opportunity for dialogue
for those insurgents that are willing and
ready to lay down their arms. This position is
predicated on calls made to this Centre by
some members of the Boko Haram requesting
for genuine and comprehensive dialogue that
could lead to hundreds of them coming out to
renounce their membership.
“Nevertheless, the Centre will continue to
support and encourage all efforts towards
bringing insurgency to an end in our country,”
he stated.
On the lingering National Assembly crisis, the
CCC appealed to all the contending
individuals, groups or parties to ‘shield their
swords’ in the national interest “knowing how
far-reaching and negative effect political
crisis of this dimension could continue to be
in inflaming passions, creating divisive
tendencies, and ultimately translating in
crisis.”
He then urged the legislators to take the lead
of President Buhari and slash their
remunerations to demonstrate to Nigerians
that they are also sympathetic to the current
financial challenges of the nation and ready
to make sacrifices to make Nigeria better.
On non-payment of salaries by some state
governments, the Centre declared “nothing
breeds crisis more than the injustice of
workers being denied wages and entitlements.
Public servants who toil for governments and
the nation deserve salaries at the end of the
month. Failure to guarantee this basic
obligation on the part of any state
government is a sure recipe for crisis, i.e.
crisis at home, schools, at the workplace and
generally in the society.”
He then implored the affected states and
indeed other states to be more ingenious and
judicious in handling their finances to avoid
potential source of crisis in the future.
Speaking on the issue of cattle the CCC boss
said it has reached an alarming proportion as
it always precipitates bloody clashes leaving
scores of people dead in different parts of the
country especially in Taraba, Plateau, Benue,
Kaduna, Nassarawa, Niger and other states
over grazing rights.
“This recurring but often violent crisis
perpetrated by unknown hoodlums has
continued to traumatize innocent and
enterprising Nigerians engaged in cattle
rearing and farming.
“The crisis is perhaps accentuated by the
economic hardship and joblessness. The
Centre has received hundreds of calls from
several parts of the north over this issue.
Instances abound where hoodlums send
letters to cattle breeders especially Fulanis
and farmers to pay hundreds of thousands of
naira or even millions as ransom to avert
attacks.”
He commended Governor Nasir El-Rufai for
his efforts in this regard and in setting up the
‘Cattle Initiative’ to fight against cattle
rustlers in Kaduna, which has already
recorded huge successes with the recent
recovery of over 2000 cows in different
locations in Kaduna state.
“The Centre is calling on governments at all
levels to ensure every action aimed at finding
lasting solution are put in place to enable the
return of normalcy in the nooks and corners
of our communities.
“The Centre believes that more discussions
and legislative actions at the states and
National Assembly levels are needed now on
the propriety or otherwise of creating or
delineating grazing areas in the country.”
The CCC said it was agitated by recent
attempts to resurrect the Movement for the
Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) with the
arrow head being Mr. Government Tompolo
along with some Ijaw youth.
“Since the inception of the Amnesty
Programme billions of Naira has been and is
still being spent to address the Youth
challenges of the region”, it noted and
commended the appointment of Brigadier
General Peter Boroh (Rtd) which it said
will  energize the amnesty programme.
“If there are genuine grievances with the
Amnesty programme, legitimate avenues and
appropriate channels should be exploited.
However, the full wrath of the law should be
brought to bear on any individual or group
that wants to engineer crisis aimed at
militating against the socio-economic
development of our dear nation.”
PRNigeria encourages institutions to be
transparent in their information management
as it provides news items from authoritative
sources for free use by the media
The Full Text of the Address
CENTRE FOR CRISIS COMMUNICATION
Media Briefing Address by Executive Secretary
Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), Air
Commodore Yusuf Anas  on Crisis Issues in
the Nation, held in the Centre on 4 August
2015
You are welcome to the Centre for Crisis
Communication (CCC) for this all important
media briefing. You will recall that during our
last interaction organized and hosted by I-
Nigeria Initiative, we took the opportunity to
formally introduce the Centre and its
activities to you. We also informed you that
in line with the mandate of the Centre, it will
be hosting periodic media briefing on issues
bordering on crisis with the aim of keeping
Nigerians informed through you.
Today’s briefing therefore is in relation with
what the Centre perceives as crisis or
potential crisis in our polity. The Centre
appreciates the indispensable role of the
media in crisis communication and therefore
seeks your partnership in helping to set the
agenda in order to continue building a safe,
virile and democratic nation.
Gentlemen of the press, a key aspect of the
Centre’s operation is the painstaking
monitoring and evaluation of the socio-
economic and political dynamics in our
society with a view to identifying issues that
are breeding or could possibly breed conflict
or even escalate into a crisis situation. The
Centre, through its early warning signal
initiative, proffers proactive suggestions
aimed at averting identified potential crisis or
suggests ways of mitigating the effects of a
crisis situation. The Centre therefore notes
the following issues in our national polity
that are crisis prone and which require
attention.
a. National Assembly Crisis:
The Centre has noted the considerable
progress made at arriving at an amicable
resolution of the National Assembly
leadership crisis. However, the Centre is
aware of underground moves to still truncate
the current compromises that were reached.
Knowing how far-reaching and negative effect
political crisis of this dimension could
continue to be in inflaming passions, creating
divisive tendencies, and ultimately translating
in crisis, we are appealing to all the
contending individuals, groups or parties to
‘shield their swords’ in the national interest.
The Centre wants to use this opportunity to
also call on our dear members of the
National Assembly to similarly emulate the
gesture of Mr. President by also slashing
their salaries to demonstrate to Nigerians
that they are also sympathetic to the current
financial challenges of the nation and ready
to make sacrifices to make Nigeria better.
b. Non Payment of Salaries by Some State
Governments
Nothing breeds crisis more than the injustice
of workers being denied wages and
entitlements. Public servants who toil for
governments and the nation deserve salaries
at the end of the month. Failure to guarantee
this basic obligation on the part of any state
government is a sure recipe for crisis, i.e.
crisis at home, schools, at the workplace and
generally in the society.
While several states embark on grandiose
projects that will bring personal returns to a
few individuals, legitimate monthly salaries of
hardworking people to cater for their families
were often denied as result of what could be
termed “profligacy”.  The Centre therefore
believes that this ugly development is
unwarranted, no matter the excuses advanced
by the affected states.
However, the CCC notes with great relief and
deep appreciation the intervention by the
Federal Government to bail out the effected
states to enable them fulfills their statutory
obligation to their workers. The Centre
therefore is imploring the affected states and
indeed other states to be more ingenious and
judicious in handling their finances to avoid
potential source of crisis in the future.
c. Radio Biafra
Another worrisome development noted by
this Centre is the issue of the Radio Biafra.
The Centre condemns in very strong terms
the activities of the pirate radio station. This
illegal station which was transmitting from
unknown location is, from all intent and
purposes, on a mission to orchestrate
disunity in the country.
Radio stations of this nature that broadcast
hate messages and anti-government
sentiments are quite capable of instigating
dissent, inflaming the polity and ultimately
cause serious crisis in the country.  The
Rwandan case which led to unwholesome
destruction of hundreds of thousands of lives
and property is instructive. Although the
Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC)
recently announced the successful jamming of
the radio station, efforts must be doubled to
take their online contents off the internet as
soon as possible.
d. Pipeline Vandalism
The Centre condemns in its entirety the
recurring incidence of pipeline vandalism and
the attendant oil spillages being carried out
by unscrupulous economic saboteurs. Apart
from the disruption of normal oil flow across
the pipelines and loss in revenue, this
economic crime has on many occasions
resulted in deadly fire and oil spillage that
have claimed many lives and damage to the
environment in several communities.
Despite the dangers inherent in the pipeline
vandalism, the crime still persists. The nation
witnessed few weeks ago, no fewer than a
hundred lives burnt to death in Arepo, Ogun
State following a fire at the scene of a
vandalised pipeline where people were
scooping petroleum products.
Inspite of that colossal human loss, a group
of area boys holding monopoly of violence in
the guise of guarding the pipelines across
some regions of this country, some of your
colleagues, photojournalists namely Solomon
Adeola of The Nation Newspaper and
Omoniyi  Aiyedun of The Sun Newspaper were
captured and tortured  by these vandals when
they went to cover the circumstances
surrounding the incident. The Centre is aware
that securing the entire length and breadth of
the nation’s oil pipelines is certainly a
daunting task.
CCC therefore wants to reiterate greater need
for the protection of the nation’s critical
infrastructure through a more robust multi-
agency collaboration and synergy.  This will
go a long way in ensuring crude oil get to the
refineries for refining and subsequent supply
to Nigerians to ameliorate the current fuel
shortage.
e. Cattle Rustling and Herdsmen/ Farmers
Clashes
Cattle rustling and destruction of farm lands
in recent times have reached an alarming
proportion which always precipitates bloody
clashes leaving scores of people dead in
different parts of the country especially in the
North. This recurring but often violent crisis
perpetrated by unknown hoodlums has
continued to traumatize innocent and
enterprising Nigerians engaged in cattle
rearing and farming.
The crisis is perhaps accentuated by the
economic hardship and joblessness. The
Centre has received hundreds of calls from
several parts of the north over this issue.
Instances abound where hoodlums send
letters to cattle breeders especially Fulanis
and farmers to pay hundreds of thousands of
naira or even millions as ransom to avert
attacks.
In some cases, the miscreants visit villages
and drop bags with a caveat to be filled with
money, failure which risks attacks leading to
maiming and deaths of innocent people in the
communities. In this regard, the Centre wants
to commend the recent joint efforts by the six
state governors of the North-West for
collaborating to put an end to this despicable
crime.
We particularly commend Governor Nasir El-
Rufai for his efforts in this regard and in
setting up the ‘Cattle Initiative’ to fight
against cattle rustlers in Kaduna. The
initiative has already recorded huge
successes with the recent recovery of over
2000 cows in different locations in Kaduna
state.
Similarly,  Fulani herdsmen and farmers
clashes in Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna,
Nassarawa, Niger and other states over
grazing rights has reached a crescendo where
affirmative action and solution must be
found.  We have received numerous distress
calls and emails over this issue from several
quarters where the crisis has led to
communal clashes and deaths.  The Centre is
calling on governments at all levels to ensure
every action aimed at finding lasting solution
are put in place to enable the return of
normalcy in the nooks and corners of our
communities.
The Centre believes that more discussions
and legislative actions at the states and
National Assembly levels are needed now on
the propriety or otherwise of creating or
delineating grazing areas in the country.
f. Resurrection of MEND
The Centre is equally agitated by the recent
moves to resurrect the once rested Movement
for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).
It was purported to have planned a meeting
of its old brigade members on 25 July 2015
in Yenagoa. The arrow head of the meeting is
no other person than Mr. Tompolo along with
some Ijaw youth.
Although Mr Tompolo denied attempting to
resurrect the rested militant group, the last
may not have been heard on the issue.
Nigerians will recall how this deadly group
almost crippled the nation’s oil production
from 2005 until when Late President Yaradua
initiated the Amnesty Programme. Since the
inception of the Amnesty Programme billions
of Naira has been and is still being spent to
address the Youth challenges of the region.
The appointment of Brigadier General Peter
Boroh (Rtd) will no doubt energise the
programme. If there are genuine grievances
with the Amnesty programme, legitimate
avenues and appropriate channels should be
exploited. However, the full wrath of the law
should be brought to bear on any individual
or group that wants to engineer crisis aimed
at militating against the socio-economic
development of our dear nation.
g. Dialogue with Boko Haram
The Boko Haram challenges have continued
to become an intractable crisis situation to
our nation. Recently,  Governor Kashim
Shettima of Borno Stated that “ more than
three million innocent Nigerians from Borno,
Yobe, Adamawa and parts of Nigeria live in
deep agony having lost their sons, daughters,
fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, relations
and neighbors after brutally being attacked
by members of the Boko Haram”. Indeed,
many of our citizens are now orphans,
widows and forced to become refugees within
and outside our country.
Over the years, government has been
pursuing the terrorists with the aim at ending
the insurgency. Although successes have
been recorded in degrading the volatility of
the terrorists, they are far from being
defeated.
Some prominent Nigerians have in recent
times canvassed the idea of dialogue with the
Boko Haram. The option of dialogue,
according to them, at the moment provides a
leeway of not only safely rescuing the
abducted Chibok school girls alive, but also
possibly bringing to an end the orgy of
violence unleashed on innocent Nigerians by
the group.
Considering the unspeakable atrocities which
the group has visited on Nigeria and
Nigerians, this option is no doubt a hard sell.
However, the recent statement by President
Muhammadu Buhari on government’s
readiness to negotiate with credible members
of the sect has rekindled the hope for
dialogue.
The Centre views this gesture as good. It has
opened a window of opportunity for dialogue
for those insurgents that are willing and
ready to lay down their arms. This position is
predicated on calls made to this Centre by
some members of the Boko Haram requesting
for genuine and comprehensive dialogue that
could lead to hundreds of them coming out to
renounce their membership.
The Centre however suggests that such
dialogue should be done with every sense of
caution and responsibility bearing in mind
the previous disappointments that attended
attempts at negotiations. Nevertheless, the
Centre will continue to support and encourage
all efforts towards bringing insurgency to an
end in our country.
h. Kidnappings and Armed Banditry
The Centre is also gravely concerned about
the spate of kidnappings for ransom and
armed banditry across the country. These are
also serious crimes committed against our
citizens. A case in point is the recent kidnap
of a 92 year old ruler of Tombia Community
in Bayelsa State by unknown gunmen. Similar
cases abound in several parts of the nation.
In the same vein, armed robbery and ritual
killings have continued to afflict several
individuals and communities across Nigeria.
This unacceptable situation should not be
allowed to continue unabated. Although our
security agencies are doing their best, we
want to urge them to collaborate more to
ensure perpetrators are apprehended and
speedily brought to justice.
h. On a Positive Note
The Centre notes recent positive change of
guard in the nation’s armed forces and some
security agencies by the President. It signifies
a new beginning for the organisations to
restrategise on their service delivery to the
nation.  However, it must be reiterated that
inter-agency collaboration should be
paramount to enhance effective and efficient
discharged of their constitutional
responsibilities.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Centre believes no nation
is immune to crisis. However, what
distinguishes one nation from the other is
how crisis are resolved with a view to
ensuring the socio-economic and political
development of the country continues to be
enhanced.
Issues bordering on crisis such as those in
the NASS, pipeline vandalism, Boko Haram,
MEND, radio Biafra among others which have
attracted the attention of CCC should be
carefully addressed. The Centre urges
Nigerians to remain steadfast and join hands
to build a peaceful, democratic, transparent
and progressive nation that we all desire.
Thank you.
Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (Rtd)
Executive Secretary
Centre for Crisis Communication
Abuja
PRNigeria encourages institutions to be
transparent in their information management
as it provides news items from authoritative
sources for free use by the media