Whenever someone speaks about the word “lie” I have never had anyone give me its definition in my entire life like former Kano state governor Malam Ibrahim Shekerau, current Minister of Education, did in 2005. When he was receiving members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, at Africa House, he practically demonstrated a lie with his left hand. I remember vividly how he bent his hand and told his guests that this is how lie is exactly, a lie is not straight and shall never be straight. Whenever you tell a lie you have to keep defending it with other lies and no matter how you try to make it right at last it will bend till the truth is told.
In the wake of the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction last April, President Goodluck Jonathan said the federal government will not negotiate for their release but will continue to dialogue to seek an end to Boko Haram insurgency.
After five years, it has been a tale of trillions of naira sunk, bulky losses of life on all sides, much economic damage to the country and many embarrassing incidents ranging from celebrating and dancing in Kano after the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, bomb blast and the recent seizure of a plane full of cash in South Africa.
The government swallowed its pride and reluctantly came to the winding up that some kind of a negotiated solution is needed. Besides, the election is approaching and President Jonathan has been delaying his declaration for a second term largely due to the bring back our girls campaign. The government also wasted a lot of time chasing shadows, believing that its political opponents were behind the insurgency.
Many people believe that the amount of soldiers, police and SSS deployed to Ekiti State during the last gubernatorial election, if same is deployed to the troubled North-east they would have secured the release of the 200 abducted girls.
Boko Haram has cast a long shadow over preparations for next year’s elections with many people wondering if elections can be held in some areas, notably, parts of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
Last week, there was a bolt from the blue announcement first by Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and later Coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC) Mike Omeri that contacts have been made between government and Boko Haram representatives. The negotiations, Omeri said, were “essentially in relation to general insecurity in the North-east and also the need to rescue all captives of the terrorists including the students of Government Girls Secondary school, Chibok.” Boko Haram, he said, indicated its desire and willingness to discuss and resolve all associated issues and they assured that all the schoolgirls and other people in their custody are alive and well.
He added that Boko Haram and government had declared a ceasefire. “The goal of this process is to ensure a return to normalcy in the land, especially in the North-east,” Omeri observed. He slipped in a propaganda line about “President Jonathan’s commitment to peace and security in Nigeria and indeed all parts of the world has been the driving force of all engagements and measures taken since the war on terror began in the country.”
What are the terms of this sudden ceasefire? The government’s statement did not say but a ceasefire usually means all forces maintain their current positions.
From all indications, President Jonathan’s visit to Chad in August was a major step in this route but the trip was overshadowed by controversy over the presence of former Borno State governor Ali Modu Sheriff in Jonathan’s delegation. Not many people thought the talks had any material given the controversy that surrounded them.
What propelled the two sides to arrive at such an extraordinary ceasefire deal?
Some of the questions are whether such an amnesty will entail the release of all captured Boko Haram fighters, including those already convicted by the courts. The sect members also once demanded compensation for their demolished mosques and for their extra-judicially killed leaders. They are likely to renew those demands. Government might also offer financial inducements in the name of rehabilitating the sect members.
Another observation is that the government may not be able to solve the communities’ response to the return of pardoned Boko Haram members. This is especially true in Borno where the Civilian JTF is very physically powerful and it played an important role in bringing the sect to feeble. Government could grant amnesty but the danger is real that individuals and local communities could exact vengeance from Boko Haram men who were known to have killed their relatives, abducted their daughters, drafted their sons off to fight or otherwise and raided their shops and markets.
Nigerians and the world at large are even doubting if Boko Haram leader Shekau is actually dead and if indeed he was the one killed at Konduga.
Nigeria is tired of incompetent leadership, so we must be ready to make sacrifices that will salvage the country, let us not allow ourselves to be bribed during the elections, we must be united to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2015.
