A former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi has revealed that the Federal government had the opportunity to put a stop to the activities of Boko Haram insurgents at the onset but bungled the opportunity by not implementing a road-map provided by the Barr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North.

Makarfi, who is now a Senator and was a member of the committee inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan, said a key element in the report they submitted to the federal government was for the establishment of a permanent body to continuously engage the insurgents in dialogue.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Abuja, Makarfi said: “You don’t just stop dialogue abruptly; dialogue is a long process. Look at the Arab-Israeli; is there any time they said they have stopped dialogue? So, it is a continuous issue. Security matter such as this is not an issue you set up a committee for just a few months, it solves the problem, it goes, and that is all.

“We brought out a road map to be followed for sustained dialogue to bring the matter to an end. But no action has been taken in that regards. If it was taken, I am not aware. But security issues like this are not resolved by a committee that works for a few months and winds up and gives you recommendations”, he added.