Nigeria: Will the Boko Haram Commission End Violence?

Will an end be put to this?

A leading member of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s Boko Haram Committee has expressed confidence the panel will come up with recommendations to help resolve Nigeria’s internal security crisis.

“The group has many people of integrity, many people who have concern for peace security as well as development of Nigeria as a whole.  Therefore, I’m optimistic that we shall look into the problem very objectively and give our advice in the form of recommendations to Mr. President,” said Lemu

For me, this statement has come on the backdrop of some nominated members of the committee rejecting their nominations. They rejected the nominations with very valid reasons.....there was that of lack of proper consultation by the Government and secondly, Government's rejection of a previous voluntary decision to mediate between the insurgents and the Government.

Even Mr. Lemu is skeptical when you look closely at his other statements; “The problem is that over the years other crisis that have happened in Nigeria, the government of the day will appoint a committee or commission, they will [present] their report [but] the government will dump it aside, and then the problem will recur,” He said.

But he is hopeful Mr. Jonathan’s government will consider the group’s recommendations.

“Seeing that the government of the day has suffered from all that is happening in the country, we feel optimistic that whatever recommendations that this great body will give, the government will do something about it and we shall see positive results,” continued Lemu, “and with that optimism, I agreed to serve on the panel and I’m sure that something good will come out of it.”

Time will tell....