President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday maintained that the handling of the Chibok girls issue by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was not impressive.
He spoke when he received the #Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) camapigners at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where they made numerous demands of the government.
Buhari also said it was a matter of right for the government to take care of the escaped girls and parents of the over 200 secondary school girls abducted from Chibok, Borno State on April 14.
He said: “Nobody in Nigeria or outside could have missed your consistency and persistence, demonstration of the injustice meted on you, the parents, the community and Nigeria.
“Representing the government of Nigeria, I cannot rationalise the government’s incompetence in dealing with this issue. We only ask for your patience.
“I’m impressed with the presentation of BBOG by Mrs . Uwais, which is comprehensive enough, and the leadership of the Chibok community has made a comprehensive representation as well as leader of this group, the cleric that represents the group.”
Buhari added: “It’s unfortunate that the security and federal government conflicting report initially presented the government and its agencies in a very bad light both nationally and internationally because the law enforcement agencies and the government were conflicting each other, sometimes within hours or within weeks, that is not very impressive.
“The delayed and late reaction by former government and its agencies was very unfortunate as I said. And I thank the leader of Chibok Community for the articulated priorities he has drawn about welfare of the families, of the communities and rehabilitation of infrastructure. I think government should provide these infrastructure as a matter of right.
“I think you will agree that the present government take the issue very seriously. Within a week of being sworn in, I visited Niger, Chad and would have visited Cameroon but for the invitation of the G7 to go to Germany and listen to them.”
Buhari promised to do his all to rescue the girls.
He wondered how the capacity of the Armed Forces had lowered over the years.
Promising to strengthen institutions, the President said everything would be done to bring the Armed Forces back to glory.
He said: “And Nigeria, I assure you, will do its best because we, as I said, are the battle ground and we are being helped by our neigbours.
“It is paradoxical what the Nigerian military has achieved from Burma to Zaire to Liberia to Sierra Leone to Sudan. But Nigeria has now to be helped by Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. How are the mighty fallen.
“We will do our best to restore the respectability of our country and its institutions. And with you, your steadfastness and your seriousness, we will do what we can do; we will accommodate all your observations, including the negative ones, about the performance of the government and its agencies.”
According to him, strategy and tactics have been put in place by the multinational task force towards defeating Boko Haram.
“At the G7, the leadership there ask us for our shopping list, which I’m still compiling. Military has submitted theirs and I’m waiting for the governments of the frontline states to submit theirs, local government by local government in terms of infrastructure, schools, health care, roads, markets, churhes, mosques and so on.”
The President also called on Boko Haram to change its name as it has nothing to do with any religion.
He said: “We are pleased that in the excesses of the terrorists, they have blown themselves. I think they have to change their name from Boko Haram to something else because no religion will kill the innocent.
“You can’t go and kill innocent people and say Allah Akbar! It is either you don’t believe it or you don’t know what you are saying.
“So it has nothing to do with religion; they are just terrorist and Nigeria will demobilise all of them.”
The group’s visit to the Villa, came 450 days after the Chibok girls’ abduction.
The group, led by former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili and Mrs. Mariam Uwais, was at the Villa after some failed attempt to see former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Ezekwesili said: “The Federal Government should spare no resources in urgently rescuing our 219 Chibok girls as promised by the President and the National Security Adviser of the President at various times.
“Our Federal Government has the constitutional duty to give justice to our Chibok girls by ensuring their immediate rescue. The rescue of our Chibok girls will amount to the strongest statement that our government has respect for the “sanctity and dignity of every nigerian life.
“An apology for the failure of governance that led to the abduction. An apology for the failure of governance that caused failure to rescue our girls for over 400 days.
“Strategies for curbing the emergence, and growth of curious sects. Immediately set up a structured feedback and communication system that is composed of the Federal and Borno State governments through designated security and ministerial authorities, the parents of the abducted girls. the Chibok (KADA) community, and citizens, through the #BringBackOurGirls group.”
She spoke of a global best practice system of Verification, Authentication and Reunification System (VARS) abducted citizens who are rescued.
“The VARS is holistic for Rehabilitation, Reintegration and Resettlement of victims of abduction and can immediately be adopted by our Federal Government,” Mrs. Ezekwesili said.
“To implement such a systemic approach of authentication we recommend that the Federal Government inaugurates a team comprising: The National Security Adviser, Leaders of the Counter Insurgency Task Force, the Department of State Security on one hand; and State Governments of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, aided and supported by local authorities and traditional leaders, on the other hand and the representatives of abduction victims on the other hand.
“The Team should be tasked with credible implementation of the VARS. The primary task of the team shall be to work with every abducted victim’s family and community to accurately ascertain the true identity of every such individuals and following their accurate identification to make available the comprehensive programme for Recovery, Rehabilitation Resettlement and Reintegration to the rescued citizens.”
The group advised that the system should be adopted for the 200 girls and 93 women rescued on the 28th April 2015.
According to her, the #BringBackOurGirls, is ready to support the initiative.
She went on: “Furthermore, grant access for #BBOG to Chibok girls when rescued; thereby accepting our offer to support re-unification of rescued Chibok girls with their families as well their rehabilitation and reintegration.
“That the Federal Government will immediately set up a Commission of Inquiry for Accountability on Abduction and Rescue of OUR #ChibokGirls. The Commission should be charged with the task of transparently investigating and reporting on the security lapses that caused their successful abduction and the operational leadership failures that led to their long captivity in terrorist enclave.
Representing Kibaku Area Development Association, (KADA), Mr. Dauda Illiya said the rescue of the Chibok girls was the people’s priority.
He said that his association was happy with the President’s commitment to rescueing the girls as promised in his inaugural speech on May 29.
Illiya urged Mr. President to fulfill this promise by treating the safe return of the girls as a top priority.
Besides the parents and the escaped girls, he said that the entire Chibok community is heavily traumatized and/or displaced since the abduction and the subsequent serial attacks.
“We therefore, seek your assistance in urgently providing relief materials to our people who are displaced, scattered and suffering all over,” he said
Delivering the opening remark on behalf of the group, Mrs. Uwais extended condolences to the families of those who died in the recent attacks by the sect.
She said that the group would never give up on the Chibok girls.
Hadiza Bala Usman, said the group would continue to demand accountability.
One of the Chibok girls’ parents, who spoke in Hausa language, could not hold back tears.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo along with the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki and some service chiefs were among top government officials who received the group in the briefing room attached to the Council Chamber.
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