The Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement along with parents and community of the 219 girls kidnapped from Government Secondary in Chibok, Borno State met with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.
It was as a follow-up to a similar meeting of July 8, 2014.
A statement signed by Aisha Yesufu, Oby Ezekwesili and Hadiza Bala Usman on behalf of the group, however said “we are underwhelmed by today’s meeting as it is markedly different from the last one in many ways.”
That was in spite of Buhari’s order of a fresh investigation into the abduction.
The group in the statement said, there had been an initial problem of coordination at the State House, as buses previously provided to convey them during the July 2014 meeting were unavailable.
“On commencement of the meeting, our movement, as well as the delegation from Chibok who had travelled for two days for this meeting each respectfully indicated that we were willing to wait no matter how long to meet with Mr President. He had given his word which we relied on. Now that we had communication that causes us anguish, it was better to speak with him and he speak to us as the Father of the Nation.
“We were informed that he was in a meeting with the President of Benin Republic, and that he shall be informed to seek his consent to meet with us,” the group said.
In his brief remark at the meeting Buhari announced that a panel to investigate the incident which occurred in April 2014 is to be named by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Munguno.
An earlier investigation ordered by former President Goodluck Jonathan could not locate the girls.
The new probe, coming about seven months into the Buhari presidency, will seek to, among other things, unravel the remote and immediate circumstances leading the abduction as well the other events, actions and inactions that followed the incident, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu said in a statement.
The statement said the President assured the parents of the Chibok girls that he was doing his best and will continue to do everything possible to rescue them and re-unite them with their families.
“I assure you that I go to bed and wake up every day with the Chibok girls on my mind.
“The unfortunate incident happened before this government came into being.
“What have we done since we assumed office? We re-organized the military, removed all the service chiefs and ordered the succeeding service chiefs to deal decisively with the Boko Haram insurgency.
“In spite of the terrible economic condition we found ourselves in, we tried to get some resources to give to the military to reorganize and equip, retrain, deploy more troops and move more forcefully against Boko Haram.
“And you all know the progress we have made. When we came in Boko Haram was in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. Boko Haram has now been reduced to areas around Lake Chad.
“Securing the Chibok girls is my responsibility. The service chiefs and heads of our security agencies will tell you that in spite of the dire financial straits that we found the country in, I continue to do my best to support their efforts in that regard.
“This is a Nigeria where we were exporting average of two million barrels per day at over 140 dollars per barrel. Now it is down to about 27 to 30 dollars.
“You have been reading in the press how they took public funds, our funds, your funds and shared it, instead of buying weapons. That was the kind of leadership I succeeded. That was the kind of economy I inherited.
“God knows I have done my best and I will continue to do my best,” Mr. Buhari said.
The president was accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai, and the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd).
In his remarks, Olonisakin told the meeting that in the last three months the military has liberated more than 3000 people kidnapped by Boko Haram in the North eastern part of the country.
He said the military had the ability to rescue the Chibok girls, but added that “intelligence is delicate and we don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the lives of the girls”.
Expressing their disappointment, the BBOG movement said “we are underwhelmed by today’s meeting as it is markedly different from the last one in many ways. In the last meeting the parents, community, and our movement left with high hopes, optimism and assurance that the President took ownership of the problem, had a sense of connection with the grieving parents, and a sense of urgency to rescue our girls. These were not felt today.
“In the last meeting he diligently took notes and responded to each item raised. Not so this time. He had also commended our movement for holding government accountability; for our steadfastness and “aggression”, etc.
“Despite the unexpected outcome of today’s meeting, we stay strong in hope. The outcome of this meeting gives us the basis to re-strategise in order to invigorate our advocacy to ensure that our girls are not forgotten but always the top priority on the agenda, and that they are rescued soon.”
