Northern governors set up committee to dialogue with Boko Haram

To address the unabated violence that has wrecked the economy of states in northern Nigeria,  governors of  the states in the region have set up a committee on reconciliation, healing and security.
The committee has with a mandate to dialogue with all aggrieved parties including members of the fundamentalist sect; Boko Haram, and provide solution to the security problems.
Governors of the northern states at the meeting in Abuja on Wednesday agreed that it is time to end the destruction by the group that has been staging violent insurgency across the region.
Inaugurating the forum, the chairman of the Northern Governor’s Forum, Dr. Muazu Aliyu explained that the move was borne out of the deep concern of the governors over the recurring incidents of violence and destruction of property which has crippled the economy of the north.
He said the worsening security situation has paralyzed the socio-political activities of the region to the detriment of the development of the area.
Although only a few governors attended the meeting due to the urgency of the assignment, governors of Kaduna and Kogi states expressed optimism that the committee will proffer solutions to the security problems bedevilling the region.
Chairman of the committee, Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim, affirmed the commitment of members of the committee to reconcile all aggrieved parties in order to ensure the restoration of peace in northern Nigeria.
The committee which has 90 days to submit its report is to liaise with major stakeholders in the northern part of the country, particularly the affected states and get to the root of the security challenges.
It is also expected to dialogue with any identified groups and the federal government with a view to negotiate the way out of the crisis in addition to recommending mechanisms for peace building and entrenchment of enduring democratic values.