that emanated from the Federal Government and the security forces in
the days shortly after the over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in
Chibok, Borno State last year portrayed the government of former
President Goodluck Jonathan in a bad light locally and
internationally.
He said he could not rationalise the past government's incompetence in
dealing with the issue, saying he could only ask for patience.
Buhari spoke while granting audience to members of the
BringBackOurGirls group, a pressure group set up to continue to
clamour for the rescue of the abducted girls.
The President said, "It is 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.
"This is because the law enforcement agencies and the government were
conflicting each other sometimes within hours or within weeks, that is
not very impressive.
"The delayed and late reaction by the former government and its
agencies was very unfortunate as I said…
"I think you will agree with me 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 G-7 to go to Germany.
"I am very impressed with the fact that the
leadership of this important group and the United Nations itself, are
very concerned about the security in Nigeria which led to the
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."
The President also insisted that members of the Boko Haram sect could
not claim to be propagating Islam, saying they should consider
changing their name to something
else.
"We are pleased that in the excesses of the
terrorists, they have blown themselves.
"I think they have to change their names from Boko Haram to something
else, because no religion will kill the innocents.
"You can't go and kill innocent people and
say 'Allah Akbar!' It is either you don't believe it or you don't know
what you are saying.
"So, it has nothing to do with religion; they
are just terrorists and Nigeria will mobilise
against all of them," he added.
The President said he was still compiling the
shopping list requested from him by the G-7
leaders.
While saying that the military had submitted its own list, Buhari said
he was still waiting for the governors of the frontline states who he
had told to compile the list of infrastructure lost to insurgency such
as roads, schools, markets and places of worship.
One of the leaders of the group, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, told the
President that one of their major demands from the government
was the immediate rescue of the Chibok girls.
Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, said the abducted girls
had stayed far beyond the acceptable period in the hands of
terrorists.
She said the government needed to apologise for the failure that led
to the girls'
abduction and its inability to rescue them.
Ezekwesili also called on the Federal Government to set up a commission of
Inquiry for accountability on the abduction
and rescue of the girls.
While calling for the adoption of the identification, verification and
reintegration
of abducted citizens' strategy, Ezekwesili also called for the
creation of what she called National Missing Persons Bureau for the
country.
She also called on Buhari to release the report of the presidential
fact-finding committee that was set up by the Jonathan's
administration in the wake of the abduction.
Another leader of the group, Mariam Uwais,
said they would not relent in their demand
for the rescue of the girls.
The Chairman of the Kibaku Area Development Association, Dauda Illiya,
asked the President to fulfill this promise by treating the safe
return of the girls as a top
priority.
He also pleaded with Buhari to visit Chibok
within the first 100 days of this administration "to have a firsthand
view of the plight of our people, while we look forward to the safe
return of our daughters
very soon."
Two parents of the abducted girls wept as
they addressed Buhari in Hausa.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, security chiefs and other top government
officials joined the President to receive the team.
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