Babangida Commends Jonathan for Boko Haram Amnesty

Niger State governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has commended President Goodluck Jonathan, for considering the possibility of an amnesty programme for the Boko Haram sect, following the barrage of comments by Nigerians on the issue and the need to ensure peace in the nation.

With the decision of the Jonathan administration to grant amnesty to the sect, the governor urged state governors in the affected states to unmask members of this group to enable government meet with them and commence face-to-face discussions.

Commending the President during an in-house workshop on the review and evaluation of the 2006 population and housing census in Minna, Governor Aliyu noted that after granting them amnesty, the nation must be at rest, but should explore other means of finally tackling the insurgence as amnesty alone is not the final answer to the problem.

“I want to commend Mr. President for demonstrating excellent leadership by listening to cries from different quarters on the possibility of an amnesty for Boko Haram even though ‘we understand that amnesty in itself is not the solution to the so-called Boko Haram challenge.’ “We have to look at another way of addressing the issue in securing Nigeria and Nigerians.

And with the decision of the President, I want to call on governors to unmask the ghost, so that we can be talking to human beings.”

Aliyu urged the people to support the move by the government to grant Boko Haram pardon, saying without peace and security, there can be no census exercise, good economic and demographic data for adequate planning and sustainable development in the country.

The governor also explained that though all the censuses conducted from Nigeria’s independence to date were characterised by controversies, the nation cannot shy away from doing all that is necessary to get accurate data for developmental planning in the 21st century. His words: “The results of the first post-independence census in 1962 were withdrawn.

The reliability of that of 1963 is still being questioned. The results of 1973 census were discredited and never saw the light of the day, none was conducted in 1981. “The 1991 census was characterised by unending criticisms, and the results of the 2006 population census provoked lots of reactions and counter reactions, yet we cannot run away from getting accurate data for development.”

In order to realise the nations’ development aspirations, the governor stressed the need to launch a well coordinated national campaign on data collection, thereby making people know the importance of information gathering to enhance planning at all levels.