President Goodluck Jonathan is willing to introduce an amnesty programme for the Boko Haram members patterned after the one for Niger Delta militants but this is being made impossible by the refusal of Boko Haram to step out of the shadows for talks.

Jonathan dropped this hint last night during a Presidential Media Chat broadcast live on Nigerian TV stations.

“I will love a situation where the Boko Haram people will stop the rubbish that they are doing so that they can be trained in business skills that will enable them to become productive and contribute to our economy,” the President said.

“Government,” according to him, “will like to dialogue with Boko Haram but presently, Boko Haram has no face. Nobody will come and tell you I am the leader of Boko Haram. And government will not dialogue with a faceless group. You must have a face; you must tell us the reason why you are doing what you are doing. Then of course, we will dialogue. We want them to change; we want them to become decent citizens; to become top businessmen in this country.”

Transport & Business Express recalls that the amnesty programme introduced for Niger delta militants on August 6, 2009 by the government of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua proved to be a masterstroke that solved the Niger Delta insurgency.