CLAIM ON CHIBOK GIRLS: You are a liar, Jonathan replies Buhari

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described as lies claims by President Muhammadu Buhari that his administration “looked the other way while the Chibok girls were taken away in 2014” by Boko Haram terrorists.

President Buhari had during his visit to Yobe State on Wednesday said, “The Federal Government’s response to the unfortunate abduction of the school girls is a clear departure from the insensitivity of the past administration which looked the other way while the Chibok girls were taken away in 2014 and held in captivity for over three years.

“Due to our commitment, over 100 Chibok girls have been rescued and reunited with their families, sent back to school and empowered with requisite skills.”

But in a swift response on behalf of Jonathan, his former aide, Reno Omokri said, “My attention has been drawn to comments by President Muhammadu Buhari alleging that he handled the Dapchi girls kidnapping better than former President Jonathan handled the Chibok girls kidnapping.

“When the Chibok girls were kidnapped, the Jonathan administration did not ‘look the other way’ as President Buhari claims and historical records prove this.”

He went on to explain that “the Chibok girls were kidnapped on April 14, 2014. Exactly three days later, on April 17, 2014, then President Goodluck Jonathan called an emergency National Security Council meeting at Aso Rock Presidential Villa. Is this the act of an administration or a President that looked away?

“Now more than two weeks after the Dapchi girls were kidnapped, has President Buhari held a National Security Council meeting to address the situation? No, he has not. As a matter of fact, to prove to Nigerians how inept he is, the President cancelled the Federal Executive Council meeting that was to hold after the Dapchi girls were kidnapped because of a conference he had to attend.

“Between a President who calls an emergency meeting after Chibok and a President who canceled an important meeting so he could attend an economic conference, who can be described as looking the other way?

“Which serious leader cancels the most important meeting in his nation at a time when Kaduna is facing ethnic and religious killings, Zamfara is facing mass killings by bandits, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba are facing an onslaught from herdsmen and 110 girls were kidnapped in Dapchi?

“When Yusuf Buhari had an accident, President Buhari cancelled all his engagements and headed straight to the hospital. When the Dapchi girls were kidnapped, the same President Buhari carried on as usual and went to Kano to go and dance and socialize at a society wedding!

“After the Jonathan administration held an emergency National Security Council meeting on April 17, 2014, the Nigerian Army and Air force began searching for the Chibok girls with sorties being flown in search of the girls.

“Let me remind Nigerians that one of the people who undermined the then administration’s anti-terror war was Muhammadu Buhari who on June 3, 2013, said the “military offensive against Boko Haram is anti-North”. I urge Nigerians to google this direct quote to know their President better.

“Again, the President was not right when he said his administration “rescued” 100 Chibok girls. The Chibok girls were not rescued. As a matter of fact, they were released by Boko Haram after the alleged payment of huge ransoms and freedom of captured Boko Haram commanders by the Buhari administration.

“Only two weeks ago, Shuaibu Moni, one of the Boko Haram commanders released by the Buhari administration went back to Sambisa Forest and released a video threatening Nigeria.
“Who knows whether it was money allegedly paid as ransom to Boko Haram or individuals freed by the government that were used to facilitate the kidnap of the Dapchi girls and the recent killings of United Nations staff in Rann?

“Again, three weeks ago, Chief Mike Okiro, the head of the Police Service Commission, revealed that under President Muhammadu Buhari, 150,000 police men are guarding ‘big men’ instead of performing core police duties.

READ ALSO : BUHARI: My govt not like Jonathan’s, we’ll rescue Dapchi girls

“President Buhari’s son, Yusuf, alone had more guards guarding him than the guards attached to Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, at the time of the kidnapping, yet the President said he handled Dapchi better than Jonathan handled Chibok.

“A serious President, knowing how vulnerable the Northeast is would have sent these 150,000 policemen to guard schools in the Northeast rather than send them out to guard APC big shots all over the country.

“Finally, can President Buhari, who claims to have defeated Boko Haram, tell the world how many people are killed daily by Boko Haram under his regime as compared to the previous regime?

“In the first 10 weeks of 2018, Boko Haram killed 519 people in the Northeast.”

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

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