President Goodluck Jonathan Did Not Offer Amnesty To Boko Haram........ Dr Reuben Abati

 Dr Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity on Saturday denied that the President had offered amnesty to members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

 “Let me refer you to the speech by the President. If you read the speech line by line, you will see that it contains the very message that the President wanted to put across and in that speech if you look at it I don’t think the President used amnesty, instead he spoke about those who are willing to renounce terrorism, those who are willing to embrace, opportunities have been created for them through the fact-finding committee, through the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolutions of Conflict in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.” “So I will refer you basically to the speech by the President,” Abati stated.

The Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna, had earlier said  that the President had offered amnesty to the insurgents in his determination to bring the ongoing violent attacks to an end. Haruna, during a programme to mark the nation’s Democracy Day titled ‘A day with young leaders of Nigeria.’ said: “President Goodluck Jonathan has also declared amnesty for members of the Boko Haram sect.

 Series of integration programmes have been lined up for the members of the sect who would surrender their arms and embrace peace.” “Let me use this opportunity on behalf of the Federal Government, to call on the members of the Boko Haram sect to embrace the government’s gesture and key into the amnesty programme,” he stated .

President Jonathan, who spoke at the occasion after Boni Haruna made the comment, however did not make any reference to the Minister’s remarks.