POLL: Should Nigeria negotiate with Boko Haram?

Boko Haram leader According to media reports, the Federal Government and the International Committee of Red Cross have had clandestine meetings with Boko Haram in a bid to strike an agreement- 30 Boko Haram commanders in custody for more than 200 kidnapped Chibok Girls.On the night of 14 April 2014, about 276 female students from Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state were kidnapped by unknown Gun men, later believed to be Boko Haram insurgents after a video confirmation from the group’s leader Abubakar Shekau. Since then, it has been all gloomy for the families of the victims, as the Federal Government is yet to setup a sensible method of operation for the release of the innocent students. Infact, the Government has come under heavy scrutiny for what critic’s term a “Snail Like” response from President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Recent successful Bombings by the dreadful Islamic sect in Northern Nigeria, has speculated that some of the Chibok Girls are being used for suicide missions to evade security perlustrations , though recent unraveling squashes such assertion. With the latest development, there is light down the tunnel for the Kidnapped girls. The Federal Government is prepared to break a standard protocol by negotiating with the terrorists. Since a rescue mission by the Nigeria military in Sambisa is deemed too dangerous, negotiating with the perpetrators seems the only viable procedure to adopt, amid ramifications for such modulus operandi. We are putting this sensitive question to readers: Should Nigeria enter a crucial Negotiation stage with the dreadful Islamic sect Boko Haram to secure the release of over 200 kidnapped Chibok Girls?

Operations Manager in a firm in LagosFull-time

Ben Agande, Abuja.
The Federal government has decided that the earlier extension of resumption date for primary and secondary schools to the 13th October be reviewed to the middle of September. Addressing state House correspondents after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting, the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu said the decision to review the extension of resumption date was based on the recommendation of a body of experts set up by government to look at the extension of resumption dates for primary and secondary schools. According to the Minister, the Minister of Education was directed by council to convene an emergency meeting with all states commissioners of Education in order to agree on when schools can resume nationwide. Professor Chukwu who briefed council on the status of the Ebola Virus in the country said that only two patients of the Ebola Virus Disease are under treatment in Nigeria with one each in Lagos and Portharcourt. He explained that since the out break of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country, a total of 18 persons have been infected, out of which 14 were in Lagos and 4 in Portharcourt. He explained that while 8 patients have been successfully treated and discharged, seven persons incuding the Liberian American have so far died of the disease. Professor Chukwu noted that out of the 361 persons that were under surveillance in Lagos, only 41 are still under survelience while 320 hitherto under surveliance have been discharged from Lagos since the disease broke in Nigeria. The Health Minister further revealed that In Portharcourt, 255 persons are under surveillance adding that the corpse of the medical doctor who died in Portharcourt has been buried after being decontaminated. On the fate of the Staff of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) staff who evaded surveillance and traveled to Portharcourt where he infected a doctor, the Minister said government was working on three options namely, strenghtening the quaritine law, seeking advise from the Ministry of foreign affairs on what action to take on the ECOWAS staff as well as seeking legal advice from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on what legal action can be taken against him. On the rumour that some Ebola cases have been reported in some states and Abuja, the minister said some of the runoured cases in the FCT and Cross Rivers turned negative while the case in Zaria, Kaduna state is still being investigated. Professor Chukwu appealed to Nigerians to avoid spreading unsubstantiated rumour especially on the social media saying this was capable of creating unnecessary panic and fear amongst the populace.