The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to offer more credible explanations about the fate of the Chibok girls being held hostage for almost a year by the Boko Haram terrorists.
A press statement by the campaign organisation said the recent “assurance” by the President that the girls “are safe” amounts to cold comfort for the families of the victims. Mallam Garba Shehu, Director, Media and Publicity of APCPCO said with such “assurance” from the commander-in-chief, the parents of the girls were expecting a dramatic announcement to follow, informing them about the exact location of the girls.
According to him, with no news emerging about the whereabouts of the hostages, the President’s “assurance” would have no weight in terms of bringing real succour to the families of the girls. Shehu said it is not enough to reassure parents that the girls are safe and unharmed without providing reliable information about their fates to restore hope to the families of the captives.
The APC Campaign reminded President Jonathan to make good on his earlier assurance that the government knew where the Chiboks girls were by bringing them safely home to their traumatised parents.
The APC Campaign said finding the girls should be President Jonathan’s highest priority, adding that rebuilding schools in Chibok is of secondary importance compared to the urgency of finding the girls. Shehu said for anyone to assure Nigerians of the “safety” of the girls, means that the information at his/her disposal is credible. He explained that such assurance has grave implications if it turns out to be built on vain hopes.