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Tag: Chibok

  • Events listed to mark 100 days of Chibok girls’ abduction

    Events listed to mark 100 days of Chibok girls’ abduction

    A number of activities have been lined-up locally and internationally to mark the 100 days of the abduction of the Chibok pupils today.

    In Lagos, there will be a service at the Wall of missing girls at Falomo roundabout at 4pm, a special sit-out ceremony at the Unity Foundation in Abuja and a news conference at the BRECAN Centre around 10am.

    There will be a candlelight vigil at the Nigerian Consulate in New York. There will also be a similar event in India, Pakistan, the UK and most world capital cities where there are teachers, organisations in partnership with the UN Special Envoy’s office of Gordon Brown, according to a statement by the #BringBackOurGirls protesters.

    The #BringBackOurGirls campaign team  said as days become weeks and months, the girls were separated from their parents and their community, “our singular focus remains on their safe return in the shortest possible time.”

  • Aladura churches on schoolgirls’ abduction

    Aladura churches on schoolgirls’ abduction

    As the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State on April 15 enters its fourth month, the United Aladura Churches (UAC) have described the act as political. They added, however, that with prayers, the girls will soon re-unite with their parents alive.

    Addressing reporters on their 8th anniversary programme, President of the UAC, Superior Evangelist Olatunde Banjo, said: “What we can do is to pray for the safe return of the kidnapped girls and that such should not happen again. And that is what the church has been doing”.

    The man of God said if not for prayers, peace and prosperity would have completely eluded Nigeria. The church, he said, is led by the Spirit of God which nobody can control; adding that with prayers, God can change His mind on negative prophesies as well as change the minds of men to do His will.

    He said the UAC is not happy at the state of affairs of the country, but it can only pray for its leaders and for a better country. “God loves Nigeria that is why we are still one big, united great country,” the cleric said.

     

     

    That is why He blessed Nigeria with clement weather, good soil, water and mineral resources. That is why some of us would say; God is a Nigerian”, Superior Evangelist Banjo said.

    On the reason why most Christians are not in politics, Banjo argued that the reason could be that because politics as it is being practiced in Nigeria cannot co-exist with the Spirit of God. Quoting Psalm 24, he said a heaven-bound Christian will not be able to be part of the politics of this country.

    The 8th anniversary programme of the United Aladura Churches include a revival service on Thursday, July 24 at the Gymnastic Hall of the National Stadium by 5pm; a seminar on Friday, July 25 at the CCC Agidingbi Cathedral, off Amaraolu Street (First Gate), Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos by 1 pm and a Thanksgiving service on Sunday, July 26 at the same venue by 11 a.m.

    Representatives of the C&S church, Church of the Lord (Aladura), the Celestial Church of Christ, K&S church and Independent white garment churches which make up the UAC at the press briefing included Baba AladuraFunsho Andrew, VSP M.O. Ajao, Mother Capt. YetundeUkiri-Esho, MSE M.A. Durowoju, MC Bola Sodeinde, Snr Sup Akinosho and a host of others.

     

  • Tears as returnee-pupils recount ordeal

    Tears as returnee-pupils recount ordeal

    BeHIND the huge doors of the banquet hall at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan listened yesterday to the moving story of the abducted Chibok girls.

    Girls, women and men from Chibok broke down in tears as three of the girls – Godia Simon, Dorcas Musa and Joy Bishara –  narrated their experiences in the hands of their Boko Haram abductors.

    They spoke about how they were captured and how they escaped, according to source at the meeting. Reporters were shut out of the meeting.

    There was pin drop silence in the hall as the girls spoke.

    A member of the Abuja Chibok Community, Dr. Wakai Chibok, told the 84th sit-out of the #BringBackOurGirls protesters in Abuja what transpired at the meeting, held on the 99th day of the girls’ abduction from the Government Scondary School, Chibok, Borno State. Today is the 100th day.

    There are still 219 girls in the custody of the sect whose whereabouts government officials have continuously said they know.

    “How to rescue them alive is what we want,” State Security Service (SSS) Director-General Ita Ekpeyong said on Monday.

    At the Villa were 119 parents and 51 of the 59 girls who escaped from Boko Haram’s captivity.

    Dr. Chibok said: “Actually, it was a very open interaction, even though it was a bit emotional, the girls, women and the men were all crying. The President was at least able to assure us that the girls are safe and will be rescued. During the interaction, we were given the free opportunity to talk; there was no restriction to any particular group. Three of the girls told the President how they were kidnapped and how some of them escaped.

    “As the President and commander-in-chief, we certainly take his words because he is the father of the nation and, actually, we believe that he spoke frankly to us with a sincere heart. So, we believe in all the promises that he made to us.

    “The President promised to rescue the girls as soon as possible, he promised to collaborate with the Borno State government to rebuild the burnt school to standard with sufficient security. He also promised to make the National Emergency Management Control (NEMA) come to the assistance of Chibok and Borno, Yobe and Adamawa in the aspect of providing them with food to prevent famine in these communities.

    “He promised to visit Chibok but said that he did not want to simply come and mourn with us but will prefer to visit after the girls have been rescued to celebrate with us.”

    Dr Chibok added: “About three of the girls came out and told us the story of how the thing happened, the very day that Boko Haram went to their hostel, how they were kidnapped, how some of them jumped out of the vehicle and how they got lost in the bush and later were rescued by Fulani people who took them back to the village.

    “About two other girls said they were even in the camp of Boko Haram in the Sambisa forest and escaped after they were asked to fetch water for cooking not minding if they would be killed because the security men looking after them among the Boko Haram were busy writing something, which enabled four of them to escape.

    They told the story in the presence of Mr President. At the end of the day, they appealed to the President that they were not feeling comfortable in the village because they are scared that Boko Haram might return to take them back. So, they appealed for better schools; that when those other girls are rescued, they will also love to be taken to schools where they can feel secured.

    “Because some of the girls said that they were afraid of schooling in Chibok, the President promised to put the girls in different Unity schools to enable them complete their education.

    “The mothers came out and spoke in our language and we interpreted. The fathers spoke in Hausa language, which was also interpreted. It was after the mothers came out speaking that everyone started crying because we could not control ourselves. In fact, some of the ministers were shedding tears.

    “The President also told us that the Service Chiefs had deployed many troops to Damboa, Chibok and other communities and I’m sure that they are there by now because we confirmed that some of the soldiers are already there. So far, the news from people back home is that there is now security in Chibok.

    “|As a father, what the President told us is what we will accept. I trust that he will fulfil his promises, I see no reason why he shouldn’t, because he was speaking from  his heart, if you had seen him, you would have known. It pains him just like it pains us. All the 57 girls that escaped and over 100 of their parents were present and they will be leaving for Chibok tomorrow (today) morning.”

    The government barred reporters from covering the over two hours 30 minutes meeting. The girls, their parents, community and opinion leaders were shielded from reporters.

    At the end of the meeting, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said: “Mr President met with the parents of the abducted girls, community and opinion leaders of Chibok. The parents include those of girls that escaped and those of the girls who are still in captivity, the girls who managed to escape were also here.”

    “It was an interactive session during which the President had the opportunity to listen first hand to the various categories of persons. It was a very successful event and a good development because Mr President had always been looking forward to this opportunity. Before now he had met with various stakeholders on the matter but today he heard directly from the persons involved.

    “Statements were made by all the representatives of people. They spoke their minds and conveyed their feelings to the President. The girls who escaped also gave an account of what they went through. Mr President reassured them of the Federal Government’s determination and his own personal determination to ensure that the girls that are still in captivity are brought out alive.

    “That is the main objective of the government. Mr President also used the opportunity to empathise with the parents and the girls and to reassure them that everything will be done to make things easier for them, especially those who have escaped and the ones that will also be rescued, that their education will not in anyway suffer and he is convinced that evil will never prevail over good.”

    Abati added: “Mr President further assured that after the battle has been won and the girls are brought back home, he, together with the parents and the state government, will focus on development, on building Chibok, on building all that the terrorists had destroyed and on ensuring that every child, either in Chibok or in any other part of the country, has his/her dream realised.

    “At the end of the meeting, the parents are happy. Everybody is in high spirits. Mr President made it clear that their education won’t be truncated. The government is making efforts to place these young girls in other schools and that they should not be afraid about their future because everything will be done to protect their right to education.

    “The parents made it clear that they are representatives of other parents. And you can see that we have over 200 people coming from Chibok. The girls spoke in great details about their experiences and their observations. It was an open and frank session in which everybody expressed their minds.”

    President Jonathan, according to Abati, appealed for patience, understanding and co-operation.

    He said: “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, it is 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.”

    Jonathan added: “We solicit your maximum cooperation. Let us work together. Evil can never overcome good. We will surely overcome Boko Haram,”

    Governor Shettima called for more sobriety, reflection and unity of purpose in the fight against terrorism in the country.

    He pledged that his state would give President Jonathan the fullest possible support for his efforts to address the problems caused by terrorism and the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Dr. Pogu Bitrus presented the Chibok community’s address to the President.

    Other speakers at the meeting included a district head, Mr. Zannamadu Usman, a member of the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Foni Chibok, parents of the abducted girls.

    Yesterday, members of the releaseourgirls advocacy group that attacked the #BringBackOurGirls movement a few weeks ago returned to the protest venue.

    The group, which held a vigil on Monday, ensured that the Oby Ezekwesili group, was their usual space. The group came to the Unity fountain in their hundreds and ensured that they occupied most of the space. They did nothing in particular but gathered in groups discussing at the time the usual sit out of the Ezekwesili group held forcing the group to relocate to a small part of the fountain.

    The coordinator of the #BringBackOurGirls movement Hadiza Usman, said: “The Unity Fountain is available to every Nigerian who believes that advocacy is good. We call on to every Nigerian to understand what it means to advocate, the challenge that it entails and not to politicise it.  Nigerians under any manner should not allow for politics to come in but you should come out of your own free violation.

    “People should not pay you to protest. We have seen this movement embark on a protest like a month ago and we have seen their conduct and we call on to them to look inwards and appreciate that what we are doing is for the girls held in captivity. So, they should be mindful of being used to disrupt the advocacy.

    “We know that somebody is paying them; we do not know who, but we call them to check their conscience to the extent that, what would you do if your child was abducted? Don’t allow yourself to be paid to come and counter advocates calling for the same thing.”

     

  • Guess what a Chibok girl parent told Jonathan?

    Guess what a Chibok girl parent told Jonathan?

    Add your comments on what you think parents of kidnapped Chibok girls told President Goodluck Jonathan during a meeting with him in Abuja on Tuesday.

     

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  • Chibok girls: Disallow your kids from 100 days’ rally, govt tells parents

    Chibok girls: Disallow your kids from 100 days’ rally, govt tells parents

    Few days to the proposed rally by the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners to mark 100 days of the abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls, the Federal Government yesterday cautioned parents and guardians to disallow their children from participating in the rally.

    National Information Centre (NIC) Coordinator, Mr Mike Omeri, spoke in Abuja during the routine briefing on the government’s mission to rescue the schoolgirls and the security situation in the country.

    Omeri said: “The information available to us is that some groups are planning to mobilise children across the country to hold rally to mark 100 days since the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted from their school.

    “It will be wise for parents not to allow their children to participate. If they want to, they should be conscious of who they are releasing their children to for the rally.”

     

     

  • Jonathan versus Chibok girls’ parents

    President Goodluck Jonathan last week missed an opportunity to rub minds with some parents of the over 200 secondary schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State.

    Worried that the girls’ disappearance was causing great pain and psychological trauma to their parents, the Pakistani Girl-Child Education Campaigner, Malala Yousafzai, who met with President Jonathan last week Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja insisted that the President should see the parents.

    But the meeting could not hold on Tuesday as the parents did not turn up for the 4.p.m. fixture. They  were said to have left Abuja in the early hours of the day for Chibok, Borno State.

    Earlier on May 4, a similar meeting convened by First Lady on the abducction saga was fruitless, as many interested parties also failed to honour it. The development  twice drew tears from Mrs Jonathan.

    But it is not clear whether the President was also moved to that point as journalists were not opportuned to be where the news was broken to the President that the Chibok girls’ parents were shunning the meeting. Only his handlers would really know his immediate reaction.

    The President, however, at every given opportunity had claimed that the abduction of the girls is causing him so much pain as he is also a parent.

    Some Nigerians have however pointed out that the President did not need a Malala or needed to wait for three months after the abduction before making moves to see the parents of the abducted girls.

    Reliable sources in the Presidency had claimed that the President’s moves in the past to see the parents were thwarted.

    Speaking with State House correspondents on last Tuesday’s botched meeting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe blamed the BringBackOurGirls and the opposition for the development.

    He said: “The meeting was scheduled for 4p.m today at the instance of the request that was made by Malala and the President graciously agreed within 24 hours to meet with them but unfortunately the BringBackOur Girls leadership prevailed on the parents of the girls, stopped them from coming therefore what happened was that they actually shunned the meeting with Mr. President because the foreign media and everybody was waiting for this meeting and since they were no longer coming and they made it expressly clear that they were no longer coming, infact that the girls were just few minutes away from Chibok, the meeting was aborted.”

    “It was the leadership of BringBackOurGirls that brought them to Abuja and that gives them some leverage, they accommodated them, it is obvious now that the BringBackOurGirls in Nigeria are interested in showmanship not genuinely concerned with the plight of the children and that of their parents.”

    Continuing, he said: “That is was has become clinically clear by this action because if the parents of the girls travelled so much from Chibok to get to Abuja, why will it be impossible for them to meet with the President who has graciously agreed to give an appointment within less than 24 hours to meet with them.”

    “We are just coming from the President and he has authorized that an official letter be written to the parents inviting them to formally to come and meet him and it is going to be sometime next week.” He said

    But the #BringBackOurGirls Coalition, which had always insisted that the Federal Government was not doing enough to rescue the girls, last week denied aborting the Jonathan, parents’ meeting.

    In a statement jointly signed by former Minister of Education and coordinator of the group, Oby Ezekwesili, and Hadiza Usman, the group said it was merely informed about the decision of the parents and was not in attendance when the invitation to the Presidential meeting was extended to the Chibok parents.

    The group expressed surprise at what it called “the escalation of the pattern of the campaign of calumny by the government officials on our citizens’ movement, advocating for the rescue of the abducted 219 schoolgirls from Chibok Secondary School, 93 days ago.”

    While maintaining that the parents did not request to see the President, Spokesperson of the Abuja Chibok Community, Dauda Iliya last week said that they only received the invitation from the Presidency after the parents had left Abuja for Chibok.

    He said: “These parents and escaped girls did not come to Abuja at the instance of government or its representatives for a meeting with Mr. President but on the full understanding that they were coming to meet with Malala.”

    “In the course of their interactions with Malala, neither the parents nor escaped girls asked for a meeting with the President or any government functionary, rather the narrative back home was to persistently ask why the President has not visited them in Chibok since the abduction. It is obvious that 12 fathers and 5 girls only constitute about 2% of the parents of the abducted girls and the 57 girls that escaped.” He said

    While the ongoing accusations and counter-accusations would immediately stop as soon as the girls are safely rescued, it is hoped that the next meeting with the parents billed for this week will actually hold and go a long way to ameliorate the problems that followed the abduction.

     

  • Chibok protesters to Shekau: you’re a coward

    Chibok protesters to Shekau: you’re a coward

    •’They can’t malign my character’

    Protesters of the BringBackOurGirls Movement have accused Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau of cowardice.

    The group said he is not preaching Islam but wickedness and cowardice. The protesters spoke yesterday during their 82nd day sitout in Abuja.

    A leader of the movement, Aisha Yusufu, said she would not wait until her daughter is abducted before she does something about insurgency.

    Mrs. Yusufu said:  “I say to Shekau, you are not human; you are a coward. This is not Islam; Islam is a religion of peace and not of wickedness and cowardice.

    “I don’t have to wait until my daughter is kidnapped to do something, most of us might think that we are protected and anointed and cannot be touched.

    “ But we do not realise that Boko Haram is a problem for all Nigerians and not of a people or religion, it will get to a point that there will be nothing left for us to live for.”

    Former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili said the detractors trying to malign her character did not give her a character so they cannot malign it.

    Ezekwesili said the Chibok girls trusted the society but instead were inflicted with an injury.

    “They did not give me my character and so they cannot malign it. I will continue to stand with the Chibok girls, no matter what they do

    “These girls trusted the society but instead they were inflicted with a wound, seeing the wound, we have refused to walk away.

    “This is not a time to move on, we cannot move on with a pain that is so deep. We use the Chibok girls to say, never again will we move on when our people are in pains.

    “If I want to be a politician, I can but I came here because of the wound and will not move on until there is a closure for the Chibok girls and their families.”

  • Chibok girls: We never requested to see President

    Invitation by Presidency only arrived after parents left

    Representatives of the Chibok community in Abuja have said that the 12 fathers and five girls that came to Abuja to interact with Pakistan girl child education campaigner, Malala Yousafzani, never requested to meet with the President or any government functionary.

    They insisted that they had only received the invitation to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday after the girls and parents have returned to Chibok.

    The community called the accusations by the Presidency, saying that the BringBackOurGirls movement had discouraged the parents from meeting with the President as unfounded and misleading.

    Spokesperson of the Abuja Chibok Community, Dauda Iliya made the clarifications at a pressing on Wednesday in Abuja.

    His words, “ These parents and escaped girls did not come to Abuja at the instance of government or its representatives for a meeting with Mr. President but on the full understanding that they were coming to meet with Malala; an advocate of girl child education and most importantly one who has suffered a similar fate as their daughters.

    “In the course of their interactions with Malala, neither the parents nor escaped girls asked for a meeting with the President or any government functionary, rather the narrative back home was to persistently ask why the President has not visited them in Chibok since the abduction.

    “It is obvious that 12 fathers and 5 girls only constitute about 2% of the parents of the abducted girls and the 57 girls that escaped. Therefore the parents decided on their own accord to review the announced visit, which they first heard of like every other person during Malala’s speech.

    “This resulted in their decision to revert to other family members in order to incorporate every stakeholder on the matter as well as avoid discord and suspicion on the change of plans from the original mission to Abuja, they reached out to the Malala team and through them, to the Presidency, to request for a new date for an expanded and more representative meetings that has a legitimate mandate to meet with the President.

    “Their request is also in recognition of the huge opportunity of a meeting with the President for the first time, after over 90 days of the tragic abduction will be for the community, which therefore required better consultations, structure and formality as against an instant advocacy request.

    “It is totally misleading, unjust and without foundation to hold the Citizens’ platform BringBackOurGirls or any individual responsible for the decision made by the 12 parents and our community. We therefore take full responsibility for our decision and welcome the formal invitation by the President as a follow up to the Malala’s visit which we received this morning.”

    Iliya also said, “Ordinarily we would have wished that the meeting was held in Chibok because the custom of Northern Nigeria and most African countries is that you don’t go and ask for condolences, people come to you to pay condolences but the things has become so complicate that we are praying for the girls return after 92 days and we want the government to tell us what they are doing for this we can wave our rights and if the meeting is to be held in Abuja so be it.”

  • I owe Nigerians victory over terror, says Jonathan

    I owe Nigerians victory over terror, says Jonathan

    •  Danjuma: War against terror taking too long
    • Insurgents appear to have upper hand, says Danjuma

    President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday maintained that his administration owes Nigerians victory over Boko Haram and its insurgency in the country.

    He spoke during the inauguration of the 26-man Victims Support Fund Committee, headed by Gen. T.Y.Danjuma, before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

    Stressing that evil will never prevail over good, he said that no effort will be spared by his government to bring the individuals responsible for the crimes against humanity to justice.

    But he called for the support of all Nigerians for the security agencies in the war against terror.

    He said: “We owe Nigerians nothing but victory over terror. The life of every Nigerian is precious and we will continue to work round the clock to put an end to this insurgency.”

    “I call on all Nigerians to stand together in support of our security agencies against terrorism. They are working night and day under difficult circumstances. It is unfortunate that when our security personnel prevent 1000 attacks, it is the one attack that succeeds that makes headline news and tends to portray our security agencies as not doing enough. It is part of the realities we have to deal with.”

    “The menace of terrorism has emerged as one of the most complex and challenging problems confronting governments in different parts of the world.  Terrorists aim to cause social dislocation, spread fear and panic among the populace and disrupt government activities.  But they never win. They have not won in the Middle East, in the USA, in China, in Columbia, in Italy, in the United Kingdom, in Kenya, etc.  And they will not win in Nigeria.  And, with the support of all Nigerians, we would ensure they do not win in Nigeria. Good must prevail over evil.”

    “That is why we have put together eminent Nigerians led by the respected statesman and hero, General Yakubu Danjuma, who will be assisted by Fola Adeola, a tested technocrat. They will be supported by public-spirited international agencies and other distinguished Nigerians whose names have been earlier announced. We will ensure that those who have suffered unjustly in the hands of terrorists can in our little way be consoled.”

    He went on: “Let me say a few words about these distinguished Nigerians that have accepted to serve our nation in this committee. From their profile, they are men and women of outstanding pedigree. That they agree to serve, is a great sacrifice. These distinguished patriots are volunteering their time and energy to give a helping hand to the needy. Valuable time that they should have spent in growing their businesses, loving their families and taking time in leisure. They have accepted to dedicate time and energy to our great country Nigeria. We are most grateful.”

    “The determination of government to help bind the wounds and apply soothing balm to the pain on innocent victims remains un-wavered. We want to give them the milk of human kindness, to let them know that this world is not just about evil people.”

    “Mr Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the human heart is eternally caring and generous. The world we live in is hungry to do good.  I want to charge the committee to go out there and knock on the doors of all hearts and institutions in a determined and focussed way. I am confident you will raise the required resources to help rebuild some of our broken existence.”

    “There are good people who do not share the dangerous doctrine they are propagating. Those who have made it their priority to kill and maim think they can break our spirit. We will rise from this triumphantly and we shall shame evil.”

    “We have set up this committee to provide a framework through which all persons and institutions who wish to help mitigate the pains our country men and women are going through for no fault of theirs.” He said

    On victims of the attacks, he said: “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, for those who have been victims, they need comfort. They need succour. We cannot replace the life of a child that has been snuffed out. We cannot replace the lives of men and women who have been killed. We cannot return broken limbs to their original state. We cannot take away the trauma that people have been put through.”

    “Their memories are scarred, some for the rest of their lives, over what they knew nothing about. The best we can do in this circumstance is to offer them a shoulder to lean on and to stretch out our hands of fellowship to them and tell them we feel their pains and share in their sorrow.”

    “The Victim Support Fund Committee is part of our on-going efforts to provide a comprehensive solution to the menace.  This Government is determined to resolve this crisis. “

    “Our gathering here today is to kick-start the process of providing succour to our people who have been directly affected one way or the other by acts of terrorism in the country. This is not the kind of events we would normally pray for.”

    Recalling happenings in the past, he said: “It is very necessary for us to refresh our memory before we proceed. Nigeria has not always been like this. In the past, it is true, we had communal and sectarian clashes. There is no human society that has been insulated from conflicts. But as a people created by God, we have managed to live within the realities of our challenges and have worked hard to strengthen the bond of our togetherness.”

    “Even when we quarrel, we very quickly made up and largely lived peacefully together. At no time did we employ terrorism to settle our differences.”

    “But our innocence was defiled on December 25, 2009, when a 23-year-old Nigerian attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, on his way from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, United States.”

    “Although his plan failed and the lives of 289 passengers were saved, it was one incident that finally confirmed that a few Nigerians had finally embraced terrorism as a way of life. Now we could no longer deny that terror has arrived our country with its ugly claws deployed!”

    “The year 2009 appears to be a tragic turning point. Boko Haram, an assemblage of heartless individuals, took it upon itself to bring evil upon our country. They have in their mission, turned women to widows and reduced children to orphans.”

    “They have killed and maimed and struck fear into law-abiding citizens. They have destroyed villages, attacked property and terminated people’s livelihoods without a care in the world. They have engaged our security agencies in a meaningless warfare that has wasted unimaginable human and material resources.”

    “The reality today is that, we are confronted with individuals whose minds have been so twisted and tutored to believe they are doing God a service.”

    “For those who take pleasure in seeing innocent human beings in pains, to see limbs being shattered and blood flowing in all direction after terror attacks, we say, you shall have no hiding place. Nigerians will expose you. The people of conscience around the world have rejected you.”

    He expressed appreciation for the support Nigeria is getting from foreign countries and the co-operation from neighbours countries against terror.

    “This has given us more fillip and we are confident that the days of Boko Haram are numbered. It is now just a matter of time. Our war against terrorism is gathering momentum. When you read about bombing incidents in the mass media, they may come across to those not directly affected as mere statistics. As the old proverb says, when you carry another man’s coffin, it looks like an ordinary log of wood.”

    “But to us, fathers and mothers, and the families of the victims, they are not just numbers. They are human beings – sons and daughters, uncles, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters and indeed, fathers and mothers! They are Nigerians!! They are individuals with dreams and aspirations, noble Nigerians who love their country.”

    According to him, the Victims Support Fund Committee will help to mobilise collective efforts and resources in support for the victims.

    To this end, he appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians and non-Nigerians, individuals and cooperate bodies, to give generously to the Fund.

    “The victims need our sympathy and empathy. We have to show that we care and can never give way or give in to agents of evil. We will continue to do whatever we can to support our people in need.  But the task is enormous.  It is not a responsibility government can shoulder alone.”

    “Nigeria is a community of neighbours, kinsmen and friends.  We have always looked out for each other.  The entire Nigeria nation is one family.  I, therefore, call on all Nigerians – students, youths, boys, girls, men and women – to pause today and spare a thought for the victims; and support them.  This is not a task for the rich alone.  Every widow’s mite will count, and will be appreciated. I urge Nigerians to donate generously even through your GSM phones.”

    He listed the committee’s terms of reference to include: “To identify sources and ways of raising sustainable funding to support victims of terror activities; To develop appropriate strategies for the fund raising; To ascertain the persons, communities, facilities and economic assets affected by terror activities;”

    Others, according to him, include “To assess and determine the appropriate support required in each case; To manage, disburse and/or administer support to the victims as appropriate; To address related challenges as may be appropriate; and To advise Government on other matter(s) necessary or incidental to support victims of terror activities.”

    He said the fund is an opportunity for Nigerians to prove to the world that evil cannot prevail over good and that “we are our brothers and sisters keeper. We are born to love not to hate; we are born to build and not to bomb; we are born to heal and not to kill; we are born to salvage and not to savage.”

    Noting that the insurgents appeared to be having upper hand, the Chairman of the Committee, T.Y. Danjuma said that the war against terror in Nigeria is taking too long to win.

    According to him, it is a war that must be urgently won by the Federal Government.

    He said: “One thing we will not do is to go to Sambisa forest. The commander in chief will lead and we will follow the commander in chief.”

    “But seriously this war must be brought to an end. We must win this war immediately. It is taking too long. I called it civil war when it began people say it is insurgency. The insurgents appear to be having an upper hand at this very moment. They pick and choose where to strike. They are even holding positions and displacing us. We must win this war Mr. President, we must do so immediately.”

    “We will raise the funds, we will disbursed it, I promise you we will do so diligently and transparent but we must win this war Mr. President. May God bless our country.” He added

    Giving the vote of thanks, the Nationasl Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki assured the committee that thge Federal Government will win the war against terror.

    He said: “Sir you gave me a very difficult task  after Gen. Danjuma’s statement. The only thing I will do is thank them for agreeing to serve and assure them that we will win the war.”

    “But there are some very hard choices that would have to be made. We have so been more concern about the lives of a few versus the condition of a few million. The decision has to be made soon. This is not the first time we have been challenged by very senior Nigerians about the need to end this.”

    “We had a situation the other day with former heads of states, they told the President the same thing. But the constrains we are aware of we do realise that the time has come to draw a line. As we have said if they are taking the territories then we have lost the first role as far as I am concern.”

    “At this point I will like to assue you and assure all Nigerians we will win the war and God willing we will do it quickly. Once again I thank you all for serving.” He said

  • Chibok girls’ parents shun meeting with Jonathan

    *Presidency announces cancellation of meeting, dispatches fresh invitation letter for next week

    The meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and parents of the abducted Chibok secondary school girls at the instance of the Pakistani Girl-Child Education Campaigner, Malala Yousafzai could not hold at the Presidential Villa, Abuja Tuesday.

    While the President was waiting for the parents to turn up at the Aso Villa for the meeting by 4.p.m, information got to him that the parents would not attend the meeting as they had left Abuja in the morning for Chibok, Borno State.

    Briefing State House correspondents Tuesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe said that the government was forced to cancel the meeting since the parents had already left Abuja.

    According to him, the President has authorized a fresh letter of invitation to be written to the parents for another meeting to be scheduled for next week.

    He pointed out that the rescue of the Chibok girls is being politicized by the opposition towards the 2015 general elections.

    He said that the opposition have seen that President Jonathan is unstoppable towards 2015 election and they want to whip up sentiment in order to prevent him from offering himself for the election.