23rd July, 2014
President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday reassured the Chibok community of his administration’s determination to rescue their over 200 girls abducted in April and return them safely to their parents.
A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, quoted Jonathan as saying this at a meeting with parents of the abducted girls in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
NAN reports that some of the girls who escaped from their abductors and leaders of the community also attended the closed door meeting. It stated that Jonathan appealed for patience, understanding and cooperation from his guests.
“Anyone, who gives you the impression that we are aloof and that we are not doing what we are supposed to do to get the girls out, is not being truthful.
“Our commitment is not just to get the girls out but also to rout Boko Haram completely from Nigeria. But we are very, very mindful of the safety of the girls.
“We want to return them all alive to their parents. If they are killed in any rescue effort, then we have achieved nothing,” the statement read.
Jonathan said although he was yet to visit Chibok in the aftermath of the abductions, his heart was constantly with the traumatised parents and people.
He added that his desire was to visit them when their daughters had been freed and they could receive him with smiling faces of joy rather than with tears of anguish.
“Our duty now is to take all relevant steps to recover our girls alive and our primary interest is getting them out as safely as possible. I will not want to say much but we are doing everything humanly possible to get the girls out.
“This not the time for talking much, this is the time for action. We will get to the time that we will tell stories.
“We will get to the time that we will celebrate and I assure you that by God’s grace that time will come soon,” he said.
The statement said that some of the community leaders appealed for more help in overcoming some of the challenges imposed on Chibok and neighbouring communities by the Boko Haram insurgency.
In response, Jonathan said that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and federal medical agencies would intensify their efforts to provide them with additional relief, aid and assistance.
He also assured them that Chibok and other communities in the three North-Eastern states most affected by the Boko Haram insurgency would be the first beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s special development programmes.
The president listed them as the Victims’ Support Fund, the Presidential Initiative for the North-Eeast, the Safe Schools Initiative and others being evolved to address the damage, losses, economic and social dislocations caused by the situation.
“We solicit your maximum cooperation. Let us work together. Evil can never overcome good. We will surely overcome Boko Haram,” he told them.
In his remarks at the meeting, Governor Ibrahim Shettima of Borno state, called for more sobriety, reflection and unity of purpose in the fight against terrorism in the country.
He pledged the support of his state to Jonathan in his efforts at addressing the challenges of terrorism.
The statement said that one Dr Pogu Bitrus, presented the Chibok community’s address to the president.
It identified other speakers at the meeting as a district head, Mr Zannamadu Usman, a member of the Borno State House of Assembly, Mr Aminu Chibok, among others.
The meeting was also attended by Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Senate President David Mark, security chiefs, ministers and other senior government officials.