The Federal Government has given the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, chaired by the Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, 90 days to carry out its assignment.
The government said the Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons, chaired by Ambassador Emmanuel Imohe, was a standing committee that could be dissolved at any time the government felt its assignment was done.
This was even as the Federal Government assured Nigerians, the United Nations and the international community that the culprits involved in the clash between the North-East Joint Border Security Task Force (JB-STF) and Boko Haram insurgents, that left close to 200 people dead would be brought to book at the end of investigations that had been ordered.
President Goodluck Jonathan said this yesterday at the inauguration of both committees at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Also, the president, who tactically took a swipe at both Dr. Datti Ahmed and Shehu Sanni who rejected membership of the Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, commended those who accepted to work for the country despite not being consulted before hand, adding that it showed their commitment and preparedness to serve the nation and play their part in stabilizing the nation.
The president, while noting that Nigerians were expecting the committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North to perform magic, prayed God to grant them wisdom to do so. He said: “Without peace, we can’t develop no matter how committed we are.
Without peace, we cannot progress as a nation.” President Jonathan said the establishment of the committee was to re-affirm the readiness and commitment of his administration to bringing the spate of violence and insecurity that had been witnessed in many decades in the country to an end.
Speaking on the reason the Small Arms and Light Weapons Committee was set up, President Jonathan said it was in keeping with the promise he made at the United Nations, African Union and other platforms to check the influx of small arms and light weapons, saying that its effect was as devastating as drug trafficking.
He accused the manufacturers of small arms and light weapons of being responsible for the current instability on the African continent, adding that, “they are not doing good to the world.
The effect is as bad as the production and distribution of drugs because what the thrills of small arms and light weapons is creating, I believe, is even more devastating than that of drugs.
Without the free flow of small arms and light weapons, even the war against drug trafficking would have been easier in the states. “So we use this opportunity to urge the United Nations again to come up with a comprehensive approach to the control of small arms and light weapons.”
President Jonathan emphasized that the committee was not a task force set out to enforce rules and regulations but to provide government with the necessary advice to mitigate the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
He said there were departments that were responsible for enforcing rules and regulations, saying they could only succeed if supported by the proper advice and international linkages.
In his response, the Chairman, Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, said President Jonathan had by inaugurating the committee demonstrated his genuine desire to end the security challenges in the country.
The Chairman of the 26-man Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North is the Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.
Members are Sheik Ahmed Lemu (representative of Northern Elders Forum); Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Col. Musa Shehu (retd.) (Representative of Arewa Consultative Forum); Sheik Abubakar Tureta and Aisha Wakil, a lawyer who replaced Shehu Sani.
Also on the committee are Senator Sodangi Abubakar, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim (representative of Northern Governors’ Forum); Bikilsu Yusuf (who replaced Dr. Datti Ahmed); Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed, Malam Adamu S. Ladan, Dr. Joseph Golwa (Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution – IPCR); AVM A. I. Shehu, Mr. Raymond I. Nkemdirim, DIG P. I. Leha, Prof. Nur Alkali (representative of Bornu Elders Forum) and Malam Salihu Abubakar.
Others are Alhaji Abubakar Sani Lugga, Ibrahim Tahir, a lawyer; Brig General Ibrahim Sabo, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, Group Captain Bilal Bulama (retd.), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi and a representative of the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) will act as secretary.
The Chairman for the 17-man Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons is Ambassador Emmanuel Imohe.
Members are Ambassador Martin I. Uhomoibhi, Ambassador T. D. Hart, Ambassador Ghali Umar, Ambassador B. G. Wakil and Mr. Opelusi Olureti, representative of Ministry of Interior, representative of National Security Adviser (NSA), representative of director general (SSS), representative of NIA, representative of Federal Ministry of Justice, representative of Ministry of Defence and representative of DIA.
Also in the committee are representative of the Nigeria Police Force, representative of the Nigerian Customs Service; representative of OSGF and director, International Organisations Dept (MFA) will act as secretary of the committee.
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