Reuben
Abati, the spokesperson for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has released a statement on behalf of
the commander-in-chief regarding the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners.
Earlier
today, a protest was staged at the Presidential Villa.
Read
On the
Occasion of Visit by
#Bring Back
Our Girls Campaigners
PROTOCOLS
1. Good
afternoon, my dear brothers and sisters. As the Minister of State of this great
City, Abuja and as a mother like some of you, I, on behalf of Mr. President
welcome you all home to the seat of the Federal Government.
2. The
Federal Government is appreciative and supportive of the efforts of your group
amongst so many other groups around the world, who have taken out time to
demonstrate their disgust and solidarity against the wicked kidnapping of
innocent school girls and the senseless mayhem of the Boko Haram terrorists.
3. Many
other groups have sent messages of solidarity and support to the Federal
Government in writing and we want to use this opportunity to thank them.
4. For a
government that has placed so much premium on addressing major areas of reform
and development in the nation, especially the development of women and the
girl-child through increased investment in girl-child education and added
opportunity for women, this wicked act has been indeed very painful.
5. Our
present world is under the grip of terrorism. Yesterday, a market in China where
ordinary people go to shop was bombed. Two days ago, terrorists visited our
beautiful town of Jos and detonated bombs killing scores of people.
6. The
communities of Kano, Maiduguri, Abuja, Nyanya, Madallah, amongst others, have
at various times been bombed. Churches, mosques, parks and newspaper houses
have not been spared. Terrorists and their sponsors have brought terrorism to
our land. This is sad. This we must resist.
7. In the
last three weeks, our country has been in the spotlight. Some evil individuals
who call themselves Boko Haram abducted our daughters, the future mothers of
our nation, and have refused to release them. This evil act has sparked
protests all over the world. This is as it should be. There must be a united
movement for the release of our daughters and that movement must now be turned
into a united action against terrorism.
8.
Government has mobilized available resources, Military and diplomatic in the
search for our girls who have suffered so much trauma in captivity by agents of
terror.
9. From the
very first day this kidnapping occurred the Federal Government took action,
directing our security services to go after the abductors. The search for our
daughters has now assumed regional and global proportion and our nation has
received strong support from our neighbouring countries and the international
community including the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, among
others.
10. The
security forces also reached out to the Borno state government and community
members for support and collaboration to bring back our innocent daughters. So
far, the campaign to bring our daughters back home is on, and is receiving
global support.
11. Nigeria
in collaboration with Chad, Niger, Cameroun and Benin Republic have all agreed
to establish a single centre for sharing intelligence on the activities of
terrorists across our boundaries.
12. Apart
from those efforts in the public space, our President has personally initiated
consultations with so many stakeholders, to explore alternative methods of
resolving this crisis. It is wrong and most unfair to suggest that there was a
slow reaction to this kidnapping. The Commander-in-Chief meets with the
security chiefs almost daily, and he is also in constant consultations with
regional and global partners on these terrorist threats.
13. This is
why I want to appeal to your group and others through this medium, that it is
important that your genuine patriotic zeal is matched with a realistic
understanding of the situation in expressing concern and sentiment on this
matter and other matters of terrorism.
14. As
early as January 23rd 2013 President Jonathan at Davos, Switzerland asked the
world for help in tackling terrorism. He later met with President Obama during
the United Nations General Assembly in September of 2013 where he requested for
U.S. support.
15.
Government believes that we all must come together to fight terrorism and that
protests should be directed at the terrorists who have abducted our innocent
daughters and deprived them of a place at the fountain of freedom in our
country.
16. Our
security forces are among the best trained in Africa. They are making so much
sacrifice in the fight against terror. As we sleep daily, they are in the field
confronting the enemy. They need our support, not attacks and discouragement.
17. When
terrorists see Nigerians turn on each other in blame it gives them a huge
morale boost. We must never lose sight of the fact that terrorists are the real
enemy.
18. We
would like to encourage civil society groups to use their influence to
encourage Nigerians to supply useful information to the security services using
the emergency number 112. Citizens must protect citizens if our civilisation is
to prosper.
19. We must
be careful not to politicize the campaign against terrorism. When a bomb goes
off in Kabul, Afghanistan, the people of Afghanistan do not blame the
government, they blame the terrorists. When a bomb goes off in Baghdad, Iraq,
the people of Iraq do not blame the government, they blame the terrorists. When
a bomb goes off in Islamabad, Pakistan, the people of Pakistan do not blame the
government, they blame the terrorists. When a bomb goes off in Nigeria, we must
all unite to fight the terrorists. This is the task of this generation. Our
daughters must be freed to come home to their parents and loved ones.
20. Our
daughters must be freed so that they can return to school and receive their
education. Our daughters must be freed so that they can return home to be with
their friends and play as all children their age do.
21. I thank
you for coming. I thank you for listening and may God Bless the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
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