Written By: Jacobs Dunga, Lagos
The national leader of the Ijaw people Chief Edwin Clark has called on the president of the federation to set up a Special Task Force to rescue the Chibok Girls.
In 2014, suspected members of the terrorist group Boko Haram abducted over 100 girls in the Chibok area of Maiduguri, Borno State.
Efforts by the federal government to recover the girls since then have proved abortive with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the third Head of State since the incident.
Concerned by the neglect from the incumbent government, Chief Clark has urged the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to set up an emergency Special Task Force that’ll go to Sambisa Forest to rescue the girls.
“In 2009, President Umaru Yar’ Adua was to visit Brazil, but the upsurge of Boko Haram in Borno State affected his travel because they had to send security men to Maiduguri.” He said during a press conference on the 10th remembrance of the incident.
“There was no serious effort made but the little effort made by President Jonathan was thwarted and sabotaged by the state government in the North East.
“President Buhari sent his Chief of Army Staff, General (Tukur) Buratai to the war front in Borno State to rescue the Chibok Girls. But the story was different; the Chief of Army Staff diverted the resources to build a University in Biu.
There was no serious effort made by the little effort made by President Buhari again.
“I was also disappointed that President Bola Tinubu in his inaugural speech did not mention anything about the Chibok Girls and in fact, he has not done anything to set up a Special Task Force, whose duty is mainly to search for the Chibok Girls and rescue them.” Said the former Commissioner for Information.
“Some of us have played our part in the rescue of the Chibok Girls; it is a national tragedy which must not be ignored.”
He spoke about the frustration faced by former president Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in rescuing the girls while calling out incumbent Vice President Kashim Shettima for his involvement in the operation.
“I took part in the efforts to rescue the Chibok Girls. I met with Boko Haram people with Shehu Sani but it was buried by the government and saboteurs. When Jonathan said there was Boko Haram in his government and office, he was telling the truth. He was frustrated, he suspended three governors in the North East. But they were not interested and frustrated him. One of the Boko Haram members was seen in the residence of one Governor.
“The then governor of Borno State and now Vice President Kashim Shettima was told not to hold examination for the children in Chibok but Maiduguri. But he said he would provide security and he never did. The Boko Haram people came for shopping and took away the girls.”
He however pleaded with the present government to raise a Special Task Force for the release of the innocent girls.
“I believe that Tinubu should appoint a Special Task Force, transparent, brave with a time limit to travel at any time to Sambisa forest to search for these girls and Leah Sharibu.
“No government has given the Chibok Girls a priority. For one of the rescued girls to say she wants to go back to the bush means something is wrong.”
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
