The Federal Government on Tuesday in Abuja re-affirmed its commitment to support any sustainable option that would lead to peaceful resolution of insurgency in some states in the northern part of the country.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, Kabiru Turaki, disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
Turaki, who is also the minister of special duties, led the 17-member committee to the meeting.
Turaki later told newsmen that the meeting, which was at the instance of the committee was to further discuss with the president before moving to the critical stage of its assignment.
“Having interacted with most of the security agencies and other stakeholders that we have come to a critical stage where we also need to hear the government side of the story is.
“And that was what we have come to discuss with Mr. President and I want to assure you that the discussions have been very frank and very fruitful.
“The meeting was at our instance because we feel that before we now begin to move to the field to engage the other side and other people that are also essential for the smooth carrying out of our assignment, we need to discuss with everybody.
“And that is why we felt we need to discuss with the president and then ask him some few questions and then know what government side is about these things.
“That is in addition to the overview that we received from the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies.
“So the meeting is at our instance, we have heard fruitful discussions and I can assure you and indeed Nigerians that the committee is more enriched now to face the challenge that is ahead of us”.
Turaki said the committee had earlier met with security agencies, prison authorities, and some insurgents at Kuje Prison, Abuja.
He said the committee would meet with governors, traditional rulers, leaders of the frontline states, and the clergy in its next line of engagement.
Turaki said the committee would also inspect the crises areas and assess the casualties in order to make recommendations for rehabilitation and support.
Meanwhile, following calls for the declaration of state of emergency in troubled Borno and Yobe states, President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday met with Governors Kashim Shetima of Borno and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe for several hours over Boko Haram Islamist group’s attacks in the states.
The meeting was preceded by another between President Jonathan and members of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Resolution of Security Challenges in the North.
Although the meetings were held behind closed doors, Geidam who spoke with State House correspondents after the meeting, disclosed that they were summoned to discuss the current security situation in the country.
His Borno State counterpart, Ibrahim Kashim, however, said that they were basically here to cross fertilise ideas with the president on how to move the nation forward.
“That’s in a nutshell what brought us here to cross fertilise our ideas with Mr. President”, he said.
