BOKO HARAM: CSOs CALL FOR A NEW POST-INSURGENCY NARRATIVE

Members of the African CSOs Coalition.

The African Civil Society Organizations Coalition has called on Nigerians to own the rest of the war as the military has won the Boko Haram insurgency battle, this is according to the statement of participants at the just concluded One Day Civil Society Organizations roundtable/colloquium in Abuja. The summit that has in attendance various civil society organizations in Africa was called for in order to conduct  critical appraisals of the military operations across the country, particularly in the northeast.

While declaring the occasion open, the Honorable Minister of Defence, Muhammad Mansul Dan-Ali commended the patriotism, commitment and efforts of the civil society organizations towards owning the rest of the insurgency war through various public opinion control mechanism and ideological re-orientation of the people of the zone. The Hon Minister promised the support of his ministry to the CSOs.

Earlier in his welcome address, the convener of the occasion, Omoluabi Olabode Adeyemi described the success of the military as a victory for Nigeria, Omoluabi therefore enjoined Nigerians to see the rest of the war as that of the people and all other stakeholders across the country.

Convener Omoluabi Olabode Adeyemi

He however charged the participants at the summit to join hands with the government, religious and traditional leaders in order to permanently win the war and forestall any future occurrence through public opinion control, policy formulation advocacy and civil society engagements in the northeast, Omoluabi Olabode Adeyemi who paid glowing tribute to the officers that lost their lives to the war requested a minute silence in honor of Lt. Col Abu Ali and other gallant officers who paid the supreme price in the interest of our national territorial integrity.                           

Speakers at the event took out time to commend the efforts of the gallant soldiers to bring the insurgency war to an end and  also paying the supreme price for the defense of the territorial integrity of Nigeria. While delivering his speech, the Hon Minister of Information and Culture Alh Lai Mohammed, represented by Mrs Etche, a Deputy Director in the ministry urged Nigerians to join hands with government to ensure peace and security across every part the country.   

At the end of the roundtable, the group came up with a 10 point communique. Among the resolution is a motion to honor the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Genn Tukur Buratai as millennium Hero in view of his administrative leadership that led to the victory of his men at the war front. The summit observed that similar roundtable must take place in each of the geopolitical zone of the country in order to be able to conduct critical appraisals of the security situation and military operations in each zone of the country.

The group also encourage the armed forces to re-appraise the de-radicalization program currently ongoing to meet the realities of recent time and also involve the civil society group. The participants took time out to consider the challenges and plight of the Internally displaced persons who were described as psychologically disoriented and disorganized. The summit requested a very quick reconstruction and rebuilding of their villages and towns in zone order for the displaced people to return home. The event was attended by seventy-two civil rights groups across the country and Africa