The Northern Nigeria Renaissance Group (NNRG) has called on the radical Islamic sect popularly known as Boko Haram to accept the amnesty offer by the Borno State government and stop the killing of innocent people.
The newly formed group particularly frowned at the recent attack on the St. Patrick Catholic Cathedral and the Catholic Research centre in Maiduguri, Borno State capital and other attacks on religious centres.
The national coordinator of the group and its secretary general, Ibrahim Sanyi-Sanyi and Ali Liman, in a statement made available to newsmen in Kano over the weekend, said the amnesty offer to members of the outlawed Boko Haram is a welcome development as the search for peace and security in the troubled State continues.
It added that the offer should be pursued with all will, sincerity and vigor and urged the state government to initiate open and serious move to the realization of this amnesty program.
“We will like to passionately appeal to our disgruntled Northern brothers and sisters in Boko Haram, to please accept this offer of amnesty made by the government of Borno State, declare ceasefire and come to round table for dialogue,” the group said.
“Our region is already devastated by poverty, illiteracy, youth unemployment, preventable diseases, and underdevelopment. We cannot afford to worsen our woes with killings, bombings and creation of general atmosphere of fear and insecurity.”
The group also said Boko Haram leaders should realise that history has shown that similar violent struggles in Northern Nigeria were not winnable and that they only brought sufferings, deaths and agonizing memories to both the warring parties and their innocent brothers and sisters. It also called on other northern governors to reach out to the militants.
“The government of Bauchi and Yobe States should emulate that of Borno by offering amnesty to members of Boko Haram residing in their jurisdiction and sincerely put in place modalities to implement it. It is high time we move ahead and put behind us the dark images of sectarian violence and the gory memories it evokes,” they said.
Monitor the preachers
The group also solicited for the corporation of the leaders of the major religions in Nigerian - Islam and Christianity - by preaching the message of peace among their followers.
“We want appeal to religious leaders in the North to fear God Almighty and preach peace, forgiveness and peaceful coexistence among their followers. Mere public declaration that both Islam and Christianity preach peace is not sufficient: the clerics must preach the word of peace to their congregations and not hatred, resentment, suspicion and incitement.” The statement urged.
The group appealed to all state governments in the North, especially those with mixed population of Muslims and Christians, to put in place mechanism that will monitor activities of freelance, uneducated and often quack preachers that go about preaching hatred amongst the adherents of their respective religions.
The newly formed group particularly frowned at the recent attack on the St. Patrick Catholic Cathedral and the Catholic Research centre in Maiduguri, Borno State capital and other attacks on religious centres.
The national coordinator of the group and its secretary general, Ibrahim Sanyi-Sanyi and Ali Liman, in a statement made available to newsmen in Kano over the weekend, said the amnesty offer to members of the outlawed Boko Haram is a welcome development as the search for peace and security in the troubled State continues.
It added that the offer should be pursued with all will, sincerity and vigor and urged the state government to initiate open and serious move to the realization of this amnesty program.
“We will like to passionately appeal to our disgruntled Northern brothers and sisters in Boko Haram, to please accept this offer of amnesty made by the government of Borno State, declare ceasefire and come to round table for dialogue,” the group said.
“Our region is already devastated by poverty, illiteracy, youth unemployment, preventable diseases, and underdevelopment. We cannot afford to worsen our woes with killings, bombings and creation of general atmosphere of fear and insecurity.”
The group also said Boko Haram leaders should realise that history has shown that similar violent struggles in Northern Nigeria were not winnable and that they only brought sufferings, deaths and agonizing memories to both the warring parties and their innocent brothers and sisters. It also called on other northern governors to reach out to the militants.
“The government of Bauchi and Yobe States should emulate that of Borno by offering amnesty to members of Boko Haram residing in their jurisdiction and sincerely put in place modalities to implement it. It is high time we move ahead and put behind us the dark images of sectarian violence and the gory memories it evokes,” they said.
Monitor the preachers
The group also solicited for the corporation of the leaders of the major religions in Nigerian - Islam and Christianity - by preaching the message of peace among their followers.
“We want appeal to religious leaders in the North to fear God Almighty and preach peace, forgiveness and peaceful coexistence among their followers. Mere public declaration that both Islam and Christianity preach peace is not sufficient: the clerics must preach the word of peace to their congregations and not hatred, resentment, suspicion and incitement.” The statement urged.
The group appealed to all state governments in the North, especially those with mixed population of Muslims and Christians, to put in place mechanism that will monitor activities of freelance, uneducated and often quack preachers that go about preaching hatred amongst the adherents of their respective religions.
0 comments:
Post a Comment