CHIBOK GIRLS: Buhari gives conditions for more talks with Boko Haram 

President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his administration’s willingness to continue negotiation with the terrorists group, Boko Haram.

The President however said that further negotiation will only be on the condition that the sect will allow the involvement of international agencies like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Mr Buhari stated this in Abuja on Monday during a meeting with Mr Peter Maurer, ICRC President, at State House. He commended the role played by the group in the release of the 21 abducted Chibok school girls and urged it to sustain humanitarian interest in Nigeria.

He said, “We’ve seen the result of recent talks, 21 of the Chibok girls are back,” referring to the role played by ICRC in providing immediate humanitarian assistance to the girls.

Buhari during the meeting, which its outcome was made known to newsmen in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina, said that Nigeria’s biggest problem was perhaps the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs), noting that there were over 2 million of them, “made up of over 60 per cent women and children. About 60 per cent of the children don’t know their parents, or where they come from. It is weighing heavily on government.”

Read also: MOHAMMED TO CRITICS: Don’t jeopardise efforts to release more Chibok girls

On rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure, President Buhari said it was a priority of government, noting that the G7 had equally indicated support, which Nigeria heartily welcomed.

“We appreciate all your efforts. I am pleased you recognised that our military is cooperating with civil authorities, and respecting humanitarian issues. It is a difficult time for Nigeria. About 27 of our 36 states couldn’t pay salaries when we came last year, and we are still struggling with that. But we will get out of it,” the President said.

Maurer, the ICRC President, said their operation in the Lake Chad region is the second largest in the world, after Syria, adding that there are nutritional, health, water and sanitation issues in the North-east, in addition to rebuilding of infrastructure.

“We are ready to engage and play supportive role in responding to crisis in Nigeria. Security is a lot better than it was a year ago, but humanitarian problems are serious, and don’t disappear so quickly,” Maurer said.

 

 

 

 

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

 

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now