You must take public apologies for govt’s failure on Chibok girls,
#BBOG tells Buhari
Wed Jul 8th, 2015 - Abuja (FCT)
***as BBOG rolls out 13 demands
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
ABUJA – Following the incessant
terrorist attacks in Nigeria and incredible number of deaths, President
Mohammadu Buhari Wednesday expressed regrets that the country was not being
rated with Afghanistan, Iraqi and Syria.
The president’s worries came on the
heels of a high powered delegation of the Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG which paid
him a visit at the presidential Villa in furtherance of their campaign for the
release of over 200 abducted Chibok girls from Borno State.
It will be recalled that the girls
who were students of a secondary school in the remote town of Chibok have not
been rescued from their abductors widely believed to be members of Boko haram
for over 400 days.
Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari
(2nd L) and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (L) listen to coordinator of the Bring
Back Our Girls group Oby Ezekwesili (C) as she speaks about the ongoing
campaigning for the release of Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram
Islamists during a meeting with President Mohammadu Buhari in Abuja, on July 8,
2015. AFP PHOTO
Led by its co-founders to the Villa,
Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Mrs. Mariam Uwaise, the group made 13 demands from the
federal government.
Presenting the demands, Ezekwesili
who was also a former Minister of Education said that the government must make
public apologies to the group and Nigerians in general for the failure of
government that led to the abduction of the students while also giving firm and
urgent promise of rescuing the girls.
BBOG 13 demands
Other of the articulated demands
included:
*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. The feedback mechanism is so the Parents
and the public can have regular updates on efforts to rescue our 219 Chibok
Girls.
*We as a movement have designed 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. 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 program for
Recovery, Rehabilitation Resettlement and Reintegration to the rescued
citizens. We advise that this system should be adopted for the 200 girls and 93
women rescued on the 28th April 2015.
The rehabilitation, resettlement and
reintegration following their authentication should be implemented by both the
Borno State Government and the Federal Government that make up the VARS Team
and supported by development partners, NGOs and public-spirited Nigerians. Our
movement, BringBackOurGirls, stands ready to support this initiative.
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.
*That all Nigerians will join our
BringBackOurGirlsmovement to continue to advocate for our 219 ChibokGirls until
they are rescued and be prepared to embrace and welcome our Girls back home.
That all Nigerians will join us demanding for the rescue of all other abducted
citizens of our nation and their authentication and rehabilitation.
*Immediately set up a Missing
Persons Bureau.
*Formally re-affirm the legitimacy
and relevance of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign as a purely citizen
contribution.
*Note, adopt and utilize BBOG
Citizens’ Solution document to counter insurgency efforts.
*Note and adopt the
#BringBackOurGirls Accountability Matrix with protocol, timelines and
milestones to assist improve communication and synergy between all security
structures and citizens.
*Consider the need for
Community/Proximity Policing”
Government delayed action escalated
the attacks.
Responding to the groups demands,
president Buhari said regretted what he termed as the conflicting reports of
the terrorist attacks, saying that the delayed response by the former
government gave impetus to the escalated attacks.
He however promised to rebuild the
ravaged communities, putting back its infrastructures.
“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.
Our efforts to end insurgency
President Buhari who gave a detailed
account of the efforts of his achievements to end insurgency in Nigeria however
assured the country that all hopes were not lost.
“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.
“I’m very impressed with the
leadership of this important group (G7) other than the United Nations itself.
They are very concerned about the security in Nigeria led by abduction of the
Chibok girls by the terrorists.
“When the terrorists announced
their loyalty to ISIS, the whole attention again was brought squarely to
Nigeria. And now we are rated with Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, this is very
unfortunate.
“After Ramadan, I will visit
Cameroon to see the President there and then Benin Republic. But the efforts we
have been making, some we will disclose publicly because it will not be
consistent with security. But I assure you that under the Lake Chad Basin
Commission, the military have met. The ministers of defence have met. We the
presidents have met here in Abuja except the President of Cameroon who was
represented his Minister of Defence.
“Strategy and tactics have been
drawn. Multinational taskforce has been put in place more or less with
headquarters in Ndjamina with a Nigerian General as Commander. And then the
troops delegated by each of the countries are to be put in place by the end of
the month. 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 neighbors”, he said.
Nigeria now rated with Afghanistan,
Iraq and Syria
The president also regretted that
Nigerian army known for its military finesse in the sub African region has been
unable to root out the Boko haram in Nigeria.
“It is paradoxical what the Nigerian
military has achieved from Burma to Zaire to Liberia to Sierria Leon 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”, he said
List of demands
“At the G7, the leadership there ask
us for our shopping list which I’m still compiling. The military has submitted
theirs and I’m waiting for the governments of the front line states to submit
theirs local government by local government in terms of infrastructure,
schools, health care, roads, markets, churches, mosques and so on.”
We are pleased terrorists blowing
themselves up
Buhari also discarded the
speculation that Boko haram had any religious connotations, expressed happiness
that the terrorists also blow themselves up in their attacks.
“We are pleased that in the excesses
of the terrorists, they have blown themselves. I think they have to change
their names from Boko Haram to something else because no religion will kill the
innocents. You can’t go and kill innocent people and say Allah Akbar! 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 terrorists and Nigeria will demobilize all of them”, he
said.
The visit which drew many of the
BBOG campaigners also attracted the presence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,
the National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki Chief of Defence and
Service Chiefs, Head of Service, IGP, DG SSS and Permanent Secretary, State
House.
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source: Vanguard
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