Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says the fact that the Chibok schoolgirls were yet to be rescued should not be a yardstick to write off the achievements of government.

Speaking on ‘Nigeria at 56: Recursive, Resilient, Rising’, a Channels Television live Independence programme, Mohammed said the current administration remained committed to rescuing the girls.

He said no group, local or international, could claim to have more stake or to be more committed to the quest than the government.

Mohammed added that the issue of the rescue of the girls was a humanitarian one that everyone or group should be “passionate but rational about”.

He waved aside the position of some critics, emphasising that government had robust counter terrorism policy and had recorded significance success in fighting Boko Haram in the north-east.

Mohammed reiterated that Boko Haram had been decimated and government was working daily to ensure the release of the abducted girls.

“The north-east is free now, students are returning to schools, all the towns and communities hitherto under the control of the terrorists have been liberated and those who fled their homes are gradually returning,” he said.

He recalled that the Buhari administration came on board 410 days after the abduction, and alleged that the previous government had no clue to rescue the captives.

Mohammed said in all cases of abduction, especially by insurgents, 24 hours was critical to ensuring prompt rescue, adding that the government in power then did not utilise the intelligence then.

He added that current administration had thrice established links with Boko Haram for the exchange of the abducted girls with arrested members of the group.

He explained that on each occasion, the efforts were thwarted by the link with the insurgents, fresh demands by Boko Haram or division in the camp of the group.

Mohammed said government appreciated the efforts of the “Bring Back Our Girls” (BBOG) group but noted that “the administration is as concerned as they are and ready to work with them in ensuring the release of the girls.”

Oby Ezekwesili, one of the leaders of the BBOG, who was also on the programme, also reiterated the position of the minister that 24 hours was critical to ensuring success or failure in cases of abduction.

She admitted that the past administration failed in that regard, but expressed disappointment that more than 900 days after the girls’ abduction, there was no tangible evidence or convincing plans by government on their release.

Ezekwesili said the group resumed its agitation with vigour to canvass citizens engagement in the release of the girls and ensure that government did not stay away from the parents of the girls.

She underscored the need for government to carry along the group in its rescue efforts and be consistent in its messages and briefings

She admitted that the past administration failed in that regard, but expressed disappointment that more than 900 days after the girls’ abduction, there was no tangible evidence or convincing plans by government on their release.

Ezekwesili said the group resumed its agitation with vigour to canvass citizens engagement in the release of the girls and ensure that government did not stay away from the parents of the girls

Standing5:
True talk. Between April 2014 and January 2015 when the fight against BH stalled the girls where technically sold into slavery by the handlers of NA. With our porous border the girl were long gone before Buhari came in.

Mohammed assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would deliver on his promise to do all he could to ensure the release of the school girls.

He stressed that the promise by the president, following his recent meeting with parents of the abducted girls at the presidential vill, is sacrosanct.

Mohammed noted that the accusations that the Buhari administration appeared not to be doing enough to secure the release of the more than 200 Chibok girls was not fair.

“No day passes without the issue of the kidnapped girls not being at the front burner. But these are highly security and intelligence issues which cannot always be discussed openly.

“But I can assure you that, for this government, the return of these girls is what is going to bring the final closure on the Boko Haram terrorism and we are working very hard, daily on it,” he said.

Bitterleafsoup:


My friend hold it right there...



So are you saying that he broke another promise?

The mass kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014 provoked global outrage and brought unprecedented attention to Boko Haram and its bloody quest to create a fundamentalist state in northeastern Nigeria.

The following day, a spokesman for Borno state government – speaking on the basis of information passed to them by school principal Asabe Kwambura – declared that 129 girls had been staying at the school that night and abducted. Of these, 14 escaped as they were driven into the bush, leaving 115 still being held by their captors, the state government said.

Four days later, on April 19, Enoch Mark, a Christian priest whose daughter and two nieces were among the kidnapped schoolgirls, spoke to reporters insisting that over 300 girls had been abducted.

Standing5:
How many promises did the admin that lost the girls make? Keep it up ehn.

Bitterleafsoup:
[b]The girls lost were in the hands of a Governor [/b]who ordered test during school Holiday, did you ever find out why?

Oh you forgot GEJ saw it as a set up, did you not complain he did not act until USA and the POTUS Wife starting tweeterizing the " kidnapping"?

Bitterleafsoup:
Firefire how far?

Firefire:



Very well brother. I lost interest in debating with lost souls. No redemption in sight.

Firefire:

herbie27:
They all know what's coming for them comes 2019.
You used Chibok girls as yardstick to judge the previous administration, but on wheeling power yours is even worse than the previous administration.

Your yardstick to be judged are numerous.
Recession.
Naira fall.
Chibok girls
Inefficiency/dummies
Looting
Election malpractice.
Etc.

tuniski:

They have failed and they know it. They have started begging.