The Presidency, while reacting to a new book by ex-CNN star and Child Rights activist, Isha Sesay, has among other things, refuted the claim in the book that it had given up on the Chibok girls.
In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, the Presidency said it wanted to โseize the moment to reiterate the governmentโs unwavering determination to secure the release, by peace or by force, the remaining 110 Chibok girls, Ms Leah Sharibu and all other citizens held captive by terroristsโ.
It further said it was imperative to do this at this time in view of the doubts that may possibly arise following the release of Sesayโs new book.
This book, Shehu stated, should serve the useful purpose of spotlighting the crimes against humanity by Boko Haram terrorists, etching it permanently on the public mind.
โIn addition, the book should rightfully stir up interest and rally international support for the young girls on the continent who must stay in school and avoid early pregnancy and marriage, in order to actualize their God-given potential.
โIn her introduction to the book, Isha claims that she wants to โhumaniseโ the girls, instead of them being seen as โmere headlinesโ.
โShe acknowledged the release from Boko Haram captivity of more than 50 per cent of the girls under the Buhari administration but says, very rightfully, that โwe must not forget the 112 who are still missingโ. On this, we share a common position.
โIn stitching together her compelling portrait of this unfortunate yet paradoxical incident, Isha, this terrific journalist risks a negative judgment of history on a book that is a farrago of misrepresentation,โ the statement explained.
Shehu said it is wrong of the author to say, of the Buhari administration that โthey donโt know who to negotiate withโ because Boko Haram had split into factions.
This is, he explained, is a misrepresentation of the position of the government on split in the leadership of the terrorist group into two contending factions.
โWhen government spoke on the issue, it was clear that this split had the effect of making negotiation and reaching an agreement a more difficult task. Otherwise, this country and our international partners are still engaged through third parties with the terrorists.
โWhile it is true that the government has no information on where the captives are held, otherwise it would have seized the location and recovered the girls using all means at its disposal, it is equally incorrect to say Government had given up on the Chibok girls when the truth is that there is nothing on the ground to give that impression.
โIn the Ministry of Women and Social Development, there is a fully staffed government unit dealing with the Chibok abductions and its fallout.
โThis book asserts that the government and people of Nigeria no longer cared about the girls because โthey are poor…they donโt have famous names; people just donโt care.โ No. Nigerians care, and that is why the Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG movement was able to generate โthe groundswell of public opinionโ as acknowledged by the author.
โYes, it is true that โthe only reasonโ the sitting government at that time โacknowledged fully what had happenedโ was due the public outcry but it is again unfair to lump criticism on the Nigerian Government without differentiating which of the two administrations that served Nigeria from 2014 to date.
โThe Buhari administration came in 2015 with a promise to recover the stolen girls and a milestone has indeed been achieved by bringing back and caring for the more than 50 per cent of them, even though the job cannot be said to be complete.
โNo one here is giving up and we happy that the individuals, groups and nations partnering with the administration have continued to show interest in securing the release of our daughters.
โWe are happy to partner with Isha on her charity that engages adolescent girls in West Africa (W. E. Can lead) and I write to invite her to visit Nigeria again for her continuing update on the Chibok situation and possibilities of partnership with our caring administration over the future of our youths, particularly of the girl childโ.