TAMBUWAL SAYS FG SHOULD NEGOTIATE WITH BOKO HARAM

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to negotiate with the Boko Haram sect in a bid to secure the release of the abducted Chibok school girls.

He emphasised that if negotiation would bring result, the government should go for it instead of searching for results where none existed. According to him, it is wiser for government to negotiate and get the girls out and still engage the insurgents with military action afterwards. Tambuwal made his mind known when he received members of the BringBackOurGir lsCampaign Group at the House of Representatives. The group was led by a former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili. The speaker recalled that, three years ago, he had proposed that the government should negotiate with the sect members at a time the situation had not degenerated, but regretted that he was ignored. I have maintained and it remains my position that we should negotiate with the insurgents if that will bring back our girls. “Let us get the girls out first, then we can go out for military action. “After all, Israel and Palestinians are still negotiating till today. “Whatever we must do, let us do it to bring back our girls safe and alive,” he added. Tambuwal told the group that the National Assembly had long given all necessary legislative support to the executive “all the necessary support” to combat insurgency, including appropriating funds for military operations. The group had informed Tambuwal that they were at the House to find out the current situation regarding the freedom of the girls. Ezekwesili, Mrs. Maryam Uwais and a former member of the House, Mr. Dino Melaye, delivered the group’s message. Ezekwesili expressed sadness over the reality that the girls had spent 93 days in captivity. She added that the group had been following the government on the matter, but said nothing tangible suggested that the girls were nearing freedom. “We are yet to be persuaded that we are seeing efforts to rescue the girls,” she said. The former assured Tambuwal that in spite of the persecution suffered by members of the group, they would continue to campaign for the rescue of the girls until they were freed. “We remain resolute in demanding the rescue of our Chibok girls,