Despite Moving Terrorism to the Fringes, Boko Haram Still A Big Problem — Dialogue Committee Member

Chairman of the Interim Management Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and member of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of the Security Challenges in the North, Dr. Hakeen Baba-Ahmed believes that contrary to the opinion of President Goodluck Jonathan, the threat posed by members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect is still as serious as ever.

According to Baba-Ahmed, moving activities of the terrorists from the cities to the outskirts is no indication of progress, as the victims in the villages are humans just like victims in the cities.

“If you move a problem, has it stopped being a problem? Those lives that are being lost are not fringe lives. The children that are being killed daily are human beings and not fringe problems”, Baba-Ahmed told Liberty Radio, where he was Guest of the Week on a Sunday programme.

“If the president is claiming that as victory, then it is unfortunate and sad. Those people are still Nigerians. Even if it is Nigerians going to other people’s country and killing them, it is still a disaster, not to talk of the fact that people are being killed like cattle. These are Nigerians and so, how can it be less of a problem just because they have moved from Borno to the villages”.

He lamented that since November 2013 when the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led committee submitted its recommendations-laden report to the president, no part of it has been implemented.

“I wish I knew why the report is being delayed. Nobody is more worried than me because of the immense amount of work that we put into that report. We put in huge amount of efforts, took personal risks and made excellent recommendations to this President which has just been dumped. Not even a single recommendation of that committee has been implemented”, he said.

“Some of those recommendations are so vital that they were tied to specifics things. We went to the President before we submitted the report and said some of the recommendations we are going to submit to you will require immediate actions”.

He recalled that one of the recommendations was the inauguration of a standing committee on continuous dialogue, such that the momentum that had been gathered would not be lost.

“We have engaged them in dialogue; we have established very strong foundation for resolving this problem. But as a committee, we had to wind up. So, Mr. President, set up another committee that will build on the confidence we have gathered because these people are talking to us now.

“They have told us their grievances, we have told them what can be done and what cannot be done because we were not told to just go there, but to go there and help resolve the problem and we did that. But they took the report and dumped it”.

He expressed disappointment on the snub of the committee’s work, but refused to say if it has vindicated the decision of Mallam Shehu Sani to opt out of the committee.

“I am bitterly disappointed like many other Nigerians. Shehu Sani took his decision not to take part in the committee work and I took mine. I know why he did not participate and he knew why I did. I don’t know whether or not he has been vindicated or not”, he said.

“All I know is that my decision was informed by my consideration that it was important to try and see if we can help. But I can tell you that all the 26 members of the committee are very honourable Nigerians.

“We worked very hard, put ourselves at great risk; we gave the insurgents undertaking and assurances that the government was serious because there was a lot of cynicism and doubt because they did not trust us at first and we eventually gained their trust, giving them assurances.

“We told them that some of the demands they were making were unreasonable and we negotiated some of those things and put them in the report and gave the President a very good report. I should know what I am talking about because as a Federal Permanent Secretary, I have seen lots of reports and it was part of my job to look at those reports”.

Baba-Ahmed described the committee’s work as one of the best he had ever been involved with, lamenting that despite all that, Boko Haram has been allowed to continue recreating itself.

“The president said [during his presidential media chat] that dialogue was still continuing and I was shocked. The Minister for Special Duties was the Chairman of the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful resolution.

“We did all the work with him and submitted that report and the minister knew we recommended that President should set up a small committee on continuous dialogue. If the President is saying that the same minister is continuing the dialogue, who is he dialoguing with? Again, we should ask, why is Boko Haram becoming more and more vicious?

“I was shocked because I never knew that the Minister was still involved in dialogue and I am curious to know who he is talking to because it is clear that it is not working. It is possible that it is a one man continuous dialogue committee.

“But whatever it is, the fact remain that the Boko Haram threat is alive and making more inroad whether on the fringes or not. But this problem must be brought to an end because we can’t continue like this”.

He also blamed the recent resurgence of terrorism in the North-East on a lack of political will, which he noted would always have negative consequences for all sectors of the county.

“If there is a strong political will, you will see it impacting on critical sectors like the security institutions. I can’t say at this time, how Boko Haram can defeat our military. There may be operational reasons and there may be other reasons.

“As we speak, Boko Haram has not defeated the Nigerian military, but it has clearly defiled the Nigerian Military and that is a very sad commentary on one of the most professional militaries in Africa. There is no excuse you can find for that”, he said.

“It is incomprehensible that we lack the political will to push the Military to do the right thing to the extent that our professional Military has declined, either because of poor political will or declining professional level. It is a sad commentary that today, Boko Haram is still wreaking havoc on Nigerians”.