New Boko Haram leader, Welcome sir!

New, Boko Haram leader, I have received your appointment with warmth and this is because I believe sincerely that Allah in his mercy is giving you the platform where you can make history. This to me is the opportunity for you to bring your people to the table for dialogue. No doubt you and your people are a people of vision, a people with the passion to not only fight for your believe but also die while trying to entrench you beliefs.

The truth is that there can be no more meaningful position than dialogue. Dialogue steeped in compromise and mutual respect. The violence must stop as both sides have suffered tremendously from the carnage that has been unleashed since the beginning of the campaign.

Nigeria and indeed Nigerians are a peace loving people. From our antecedents we have shown a great believe in culture, togetherness and pure love and that is why we have this great melting pot we call our country. A melting pot with different nationalities, religion but with a uniting bond that even a fratricidal civil war could not break.

I believe very strongly that no amount of violence would break the back of this nation, hence the need for all sides to table their differences and truly discuss with an open heart and brotherly love the issues that are causing these divide amongst brothers.

This present government has shown a strong resolve to listen to all sides, despite its initial push towards force. This they have shown with the attempt to establish grazing fields for marauding herdsmen and also the ongoing attempt at discussions with the Niger Delta militants who themselves have been carrying along a bombing campaign down south.

I believe in the power of reason and I also believe in the founding fathers of Nigeria. The legendary Uthman Dan Fodio brought us Islam from the hills of Futa Djallon and the great Sarduana of Sokoto empowered and embellished it, spreading it far and wide while also giving himself the mandate of ‘dipping the Quran in the Atlantic Ocean’.

We have no problem with that, even our Private-Jet flying pastors also have the mandate of spreading Christianity all over the length and breathe of the nation. All these ‘mandates’ must however be done peacefully and with total respect for individual freedom and right of choice.

I seek your total understanding of this plea and also your kind resolve to look at your campaign once more with a view to restructuring the execution along peaceful lines so that at least we would have a Nigeria after the campaign.

This is a plea on behalf of all the soft targets, the women, children and harmless citizens who continue to bare the full brunt of the campaign even as they struggle to go about their normal lives.

I believe that peace will reign even as I thank you for your total understanding of my position.

Ripples Nigeria…without borders, without fears

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