The special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has put the president’s call for the assistance of the United Nations in the swap talks with the Boko Haram in perspective.
According to the presidential spokesman, the call became necessary because other options at rescuing the Chibok girls had failed.
Adesina spoke in an interview on Channels Television, on Thursday, September 22, said the president was determined to do whatever it takes to rescue the girls from Boko Haram.
He said, “The president has always stressed the fact that whatever it takes to get our girls back from the clutches of Boko Haram, the government was willing to do, and several options had been exploited, which didn’t work. So, he is taking it forward thinking that if the insurgents don’t have confidence in speaking to the government or its agent, maybe they will respect international agencies and cooperate with them. That was why he took it to the scribe of the United Nations.
“Well, no option can be ruled out. You agreed with me that the issue of the Chibok girls has reached a desperate level, and so no whatever can be done however desperate, as long as it brings the girls back, the government is ready to do.”
Buhari, who during elections promised to rescue the Chibok girls within few months on saddle, has struggled to be convincing that he has sincere commitment to rescuing the girls.
The president has on several occasions rebuffed attempts by the Bring Back Our Girls crusaders who has tried without success to meet with the president to ventillate their disappointments on the tepid efforts being made by the administration in that regard.
President Buhari during the 71st UN General Assembly, had told the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, that Nigeria would welcome intermediaries from the global body in rescuing the abducted school girls. The girls were kidnapped by the terrorists from their school in 2014 but the terrorists in a recent broadcast agreed to swap the girls in exchange for their fighters who were arrested by security operatives. He applauded the UN secretary general for the contribution the world body has provided to Nigeria.The abduction of the Chibok girls and the unconvincing efforts made by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was a major factor that led to the defeat of the former president in the 2015 polls.
