By John Nwokocha, Editor
The Executive Director of the Kukah Center, Nigeria, Rev Father (Dr) Atta Bakindo has firmly charged authorities saddled with the project of integrating repentant and surrendered Boko Haram fighters to ensure transparency and accountability are not compromised.
He similarly urged them to apply a sense of urgency in accurate data collection on the surrendered terrorists for the ongoing rehabilitation and integration programmes by some state governments in northern Nigeria.
Rev Fr Bakindo who handed the caution during an exclusive interview with Africa Health Report, AHR, penultimate Friday challenged the authorities handling the repentant terrorists to render proper categorization by aiming at gathering and storage of data of the types of the repentant insurgents.
Speaking extensively on the importance of data innovation and categorization of the repentant terrorist fighters, he lamented that is unfortunate that there is no data on the terrorists turning themselves in for pardon. He identified the lack of data as a challenge to render accurate records and accounts of the group.
“But at the moment there is no data and studies on those who have actually changed and what contribution they are making either in terms of security, providing intelligence for soldiers, and changing their own communities and families. The study is very limited. So we need to find out and amplify it rather than just condemning these people as terrorists. It is something that is very urgent. This conflict has lingered for so long”, he maintains.
Evaluating the situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) amid President Trump’s Executive Orders whipping off foreign aid on which many NGOs previously depended for financing humanitarian services to IDPs. Bakindo said, “I think the Nigerian government just has to get up and face the situation. To be honest there have to be short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans to address the situation. That is the only thing I can say. I don’t know what else can be done. You know issues of terrorism even big countries like America are still fighting terrorist organizations. You may not eliminate but you have to minimize by dealing with people’s social and economic grievances. We are lucky we are not so prosperous to the extent that we suck in and throw in migrants either from the Middle East with different cultures and religions in the way and manner America and Europe are experiencing”.
In the interview, the fiery conflict resolution specialist also touches on insecurity, particularly, escalating kidnapping for ransom across the country, out-of-school children syndrome, elusive peace in Nigeria, and post-election violence.
WATCH OUT FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW COMING SOON
