Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Borno State Council, Comrade Dauda Iliya, has appealed to surrendered Boko Haram terrorists to embrace education and other noble values for proper integration into their ancestral communities.
Iliya was one of the voluntary advisors who spoke to hundreds of surrendered Boko Haram insurgents at their camps in Maiduguri yesterday.
The officials of the state government who are managing the camps for the repentant insurgents had come up with a 14-day workshop for the former non-state actors where they would be given reorientation lessons on various topics that pertain every shade of communal peace and harmony.
The NUJ chairman called on the repentant insurgents to seek both religious and western education for their personal and spiritual development, even as he called them to be worthy ambassadors and promoters of peace in their communities.
The versatile Unionist and veteran journalist delivered a 13 minutes articulated lecture in Hausa even as he seamlessly infused apt verses of the Holy Quran to buttress his points.
He said, “Indulge yourselves in the learning of the Holy Quran, the Hadith, and seek understanding of the Fiqh, Tauheed for clarity of knowledge to better your lives. Let’s not relent in backing your learning with western education which is equally important. Don’t forget to acquire skills for trades and entrepreneurship.
“The essence of acquiring knowledge is to differentiate you from others because the educated one stands one in his speech, ways of doing things, and thinking.
“As you go back to your communities, ensure you are worthy ambassadors whose attitude and behavior can be commended. Don’t give anyone reason to say had we known we would not welcome you into the community. Let your actions be seen as reference points for a good child upbringing who is concerned about his worship, dedicated to his business, and maintaining good neighborliness,” he said.
