Boko Haram:Tambuwal urges FG to embrace peace

JETHRO IBILEKE/Benin

To put an end to the incessant killings of innocent Nigerians, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has urged the federal government to embrace the olive branch waved by the dreaded Boko Haram by accepting the peace move proposed by the sect.

The Speaker gave the advice in Benin while responding to questions from journalists, adding that Nigeria has had had enough of bloodshed of innocent citizens.

“I will encourage our leadership to engage the leaders of the sect in the dialogue. If that will bring peace, we should go for it. We have had more than enough bloodshed of innocent Nigerians and the government should do everything possible, including dialoguing with the Boko Haram, to bring the incessant killings of innocents Nigerians it to an end,” he said.

Commenting on the nomination of former Military Head of State and Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and his decision on the matter, Tambuwal said it was Buhari’s personal decision to make whether to accept or not, adding that he was not Buhari’s adviser.

Commenting on the proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution, Tambuwal described the subjection of the constitutional amendment to a referendum as proposed by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), as unconstitutional.

He however assured that the leadership of the National Assembly would produce a “Nigerian constitution” that would meet the aspirations of all and sundry.

“We are expecting a constitution that would incorporate the views of Nigerians. Referendum as being clamoured by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is unconstitutional. I am a lawyer like the president of the NBA,” he said.

It would be recalled that a spokesman of the Boko Haram Sect, Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez had last Thursday indicated the readiness of the group to dialogue with the federal government in a bid to bring its onslaught on citizens to an end.

Abdulazeez said the open dialogue should hold in Saudi Arabia because of alleged federal governments “insincerity and betrayal in the past,” adding that former military Head of State and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)’s Presidential candidate in the last general election, Muhammed Buhari would be the group’s lead mediator.

Other mediators proposed by the Sect are former governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Gaji Galtimari, a former ambassador, Aisha Alkali Wakil and her husband Alkali Wakil.