Boko Haram Terrorists Will Be Persuaded To Embrace Peace – Buhari

SAN FRANCISCO, December 26, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday expressed the readiness of his government to persuade Boko Haram members to embrace peace, stressing that government institutions will be used to make the terrorists see why peace should be allowed to reign.

The President made this assertion when a delegation of residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, led the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, paid him Christmas homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

While failing to state the nature of the persuasion would take and those who would be involved, Buhari asserted that the federal government will put mechanisms in place to persuade members of the deadly sect to allow the troubled North-east experience peace.

“On Boko Haram, this government is determined to make sure that we persuade them if they can be persuaded, we will use government institutions to persuade them to allow peace to reign,” he said.

Buhari recalled that from the analysis of the All Progressives Congress, APC, during its election campaign, it was discovered that the country's three biggest problems are security, unemployment of youths as well as bribery and corruption.

He disclosed that while the youths constitute 65 per cent of the country's population, 65 per cent of them are unemployed.

While further stressing that there could no development without security, Buhari said, “We appreciate that the security agencies are doing their best and their best is showing and we have to continue praying for them. There can be no development without security; we have to continue to pray for them.”

“We have two million people who are Internally Displaced Persons and 70 per cent are women and 70 per cent of them are children, some of them are orphans; they grew up not knowing their parents, tradition or culture.”

“As leaders, we have a weighty responsibility to ensure that infrastructure for the orphans are taken care of.”

“As leaders, we wake with the feeling for those children; the most important thing is that they must not be denied education. Schools must be rebuilt. We also thank Danjuma and the G7 led by the United States. They have been doing their best to help Nigeria train our military,” the President stated.