Jonathan rejects compensation for B’Haram victims

President Goodluck Jonathan on
Tuesday admitted that despite the
efforts of the nation’s security agencies
targeted at curtailing the activities of
members of the fundamentalist Islamic
sect, Boko Haram, his administration
could not be said to have won the war
against terror.
But he ruled out compensation for
victims of the violence orchestrated by
the sect. The President however said his
government was favourably disposed to
the suggestion by the Presidential
Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful
Resolution of Security Challenge in the
North to assist victims to get back on
track.
Jonathan spoke shortly after receiving
the report of the committee chaired by
the Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji
Taminu Turaki, at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
He however expressed the belief that
with the recommendations contained in
the committee’s report, his
administration would bring the excesses
of the sect’s members to an end.
He also expressed his administration’s
readiness to consider the committee’s
call for the establishment of an advisory
committee on continuous dialogue with
members of the sect.
“We also noted the suggestion about
the victims’ support because that is one
of the terms of reference; how will
government help to see that we can
assist? Government is not going to
compensate. It is not an issue of
compensation but how do we assist
people who have suffered to get back to
business one way or the other?
“Government will look into this and
other recommendations in your report
and see that the right decisions are
taken.”
The President said since the meeting
was dovetailing into the Security Council
meeting, the committee’s report would
be discussed at the meeting.
He promised to set up a team from the
council that would look at the report
and work out a programme for the
implementation of the
recommendations.
Turaki, in giving an insight into the
report, said the committee
recommended that the dialogue process
initiated with the sect members should
be continued through the establishment
of an Advisory Committee on
Continuous Dialogue.
He made a case for the inclusion of
some members of his committee, who
he said, had established rapport with
the insurgents and possessed the
experience to achieve full and final
resolution in the proposed advisory
committee.
The advisory committee, he suggested,
should have powers to advise the
President on all matters related to
dialogue and resolution and should liaise
with security agencies on matters of
disarmament and amnesty as well as
post-conflict developments.
He also suggested that the Federal
Government should consider setting up
a Victims Support Fund to be
administered by a new agency
established specifically to assist victims
of the insurgency.