President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday played host to members of the BringBackOurGirls campaign at the State House, saying the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan did not do enough to free the over 200 Chibok girls still in Boko Haram’s captivity.
Buhari posited that the administration did not respond promptly when the incident occurred, noting that the poor handling presented the country in a bad light before the international community.
“We cannot rationalize the government incompetence in dealing with this issue. We only ask for your patience,” he told members of the group led by a former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili.
Ezekwesili called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to get the girls out and apologise to the country for both allowing the girls to be kidnapped and failing to rescue after them after over 400 days in captivity.
She also stressed the need for government to set up an investigative panel to unravel the security lapses that caused the incident.
On the delegation were other BBOG leaders, Adiza Bala Usman and Maryam Uwais, while on the side of government were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd); the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh; the Head of Service, Danladi Kifasi; the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase; and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, among others.
Speaking further, Buhari said: “It’s unfortunate that the security and federal government’s conflicting reports 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 delay and late reaction by the 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 infrastructures as a matter of right.”
President Buhari however said his administration has started well by facing the Boko Haram crises headlong and treating it as a matter of urgency.
He also hailed the G7 industrialized nations and the United Nations for showing interest in Nigeria’s security challenges.
The President added that as part of his efforts to get Nigeria’s neighbours fully involved in the battle against terrorists, he would visit Cameroon and Benin Republic after Ramadan.
He said: “I think you will agree that the present government takes 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 that the leadership of this important group (G7) ,other than the United Nations itself, 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 while some we will not, but I assure you that under the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the military leaders have met, the ministers of defence have met, we the presidents have met here in Abuja except the President of Cameroon, who was represented by his Minister of Defence.”
The President also reassured Nigerians that his administration will do its best to implement all the agreements and necessary strategies and tactics required to stamp out terrorism from the country.
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