Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak
The
Presidency has denied knowledge of any ongoing dialogue between members
of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, and a delegation of the Northern State
Governors’ Forum.
It said as far President Goodluck
Jonathan was concerned, members of the sect remained faceless since
nobody had so far approached him on their behalf.
Special Adviser to the President on
Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, said this in an interview with our
correspondent in Abuja on Thursday.
Gulak was responding to a statement
credited to the sect in which its members took exception to Jonathan’s
statement during his recent state visit to Yobe and Borno states that
members of the sect were “ghosts” and so he could not grant them amnesty
as recommended by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III.
The sect, in a statement by Sheikh
Muhammad Abdul’aziz, was reported to have said its members could not
have been ghosts or a faceless association because they had been in
dialogue and consultation with the Borno State Government and a
delegation of the Northern State Governors’ Forum.
But Gulak told our correspondent that the President was not aware of such negotiation.
He challenged any governor currently talking with members of the sect to approach Jonathan and brief him on the ongoing talks.
He said as far as the President was
concerned, until somebody approaches him to represent the sect,the
report of ongoing talks was a speculation which Jonathan could not act
on.
He said, “The President is not aware of any governor either from the North, South, East or West negotiating with Boko Haram.
“Let any governor that is negotiating
with the sect come to the President and tell him that he is representing
them and that he wants amnesty for them.
“As it is now, no governor has come
forward to say that, so it is just a speculation and the President
cannot work on mere speculation.”
PUNCH
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