Lack of result from the government’s efforts to rescue the Chibok girls is worrisome, former Minister of Education Dr. Oby Ezekwesili said yesterday.
She said since the Chibok girls are alive, it is important that every effort towards their rescue should be seen not to have been ignored by the government.
Dr. Ezekwesili added that without doubt, some efforts were being made, but efforts need to deliver results.
She said the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners were concerned about the inconsistency in the form of different parts of government as to what is the genuine demand from citizens for the government, to act and to act decisively in achieving the result of brining back the girls.
She spoke yesterday in Abuja, at a news conference to mark the 80th day of the abduction of the Chibok girls.
Her words, “If by tomorrow it becomes 80 days of the girls not being rescued, it will be a profound sadness for not just the families that are directly affected but for all Nigerians because our expectations that our government must rescue them must be realised, the successful rescue of the girls will profoundly strengthen the confidence that citizens have in the capacity of our government to play that very important constitutional role to lives and properties.
“Since our Chibok girls are alive, it is important that every effort towards their rescue should be seen not to have been ignored and so for us, what we look forward to is that their rescue is closer now and not farther.
“There is no doubt that some efforts are being made, but efforts need to deliver results and it is the continually lack of result that worries our movement and the lack of communication on the efforts towards the result, is also an important cause of concern to our movement.
“As a group, we are responsible enough to know that it has not been an easy assignment by the federal government, however, what has been particularly worrisome is the consistent confusing signals from the federal government as regards the rescue operations. As a group, we have been concerned at the inconsistency in the form of different parts of government to what is the genuine demand from citizens for government to act and to act decisively in achieving the result of brining back our girls.”
A member of the group Mariam Uwais said: “3rd of July 2014 will be 80 days since the abduction of the Chibok girls. It will also be 37 days since the Chief of Defence Staff on May 26th informed the nation that they knew where the girls were and that rescue plans were at an advance stage.
“We called this briefing today to express our deep concern that in spite of numerous assurances, the Chibok girls have still not been rescued. We believe that our entire nation has been in great pain since the night of 14th April when the girls were abducted. The Nigerian army had at some point shortly thereafter reported the successful rescue of the girls, except for eight girls, but it later recanted that claim of a successful rescue by the military.
“It has always been the position of the #BringBackOurGirls movement that the responsibility of this rescue rests with our government and security agencies. For the past six weeks, no substantive communication on the issue has come from the Federal Government or the Presidency. The Nigerian people need and expect credible information from the Government.
“On the 26th of May, the Cheif of Defence Staff informed the public that they had located the abducted Chibok girls reiterating that the Army would do everything necessary to bring back our girls further boosting our hope. What we have seen however is the escalation of persistent attacks on Nigerians with more mass killings, more abduction of property in Chibok, surrounding villages and the rest of the country. Our movement is therefore making the following demands,
“An accurate assessment of the effectiveness of the ongoing rescue operation and more credible communication of progress to the public by our Federal Government on its mission to bring back our girls without compromising sensitive operational information.
“Reassure Nigerians on the adequacy and effectiveness of the Federal Government’s counter insurgency strategy especially in responding to the worsening insecurity condition in Chibok and other parts of Borno State where the Federal Government reported that it deployed about 20,000 Nigerian soldiers earlier in May as well as intensifying attention to the most vulnerable zones of the North East and the rest of the country in that order.
“Review of the financing of our security operations by the Federal Government and the National Assembly to ensure adequacy and value of money.
“Convene a government-citizen forum on national security as a pathway to rebuilding trust. This should help mobilize and unite the Nigerian people especially communities and families affected by terrorism.”
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