The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to bring back the missing Chibok girls to their parents, rather than sending emissaries to them and making yet more pledges as the president has been doing over the past few days.
In a statement released on Friday the Director of Media and Publicity of the APCCO, Mallam Garba Shehu said that it was getting to almost a year since the girls went missing, and that all Nigerians have had since then was nothing but failed promises and dashed hopes.
According to Shehu, “The government began by claiming that some of the girls were rescued, to doubting that the girls were missing, to declaring that they had been sighted in Sambisa Forest, to alleging that a ceasefire and hostage release agreement had been reached with Boko Haram.”
“It has been one long, roller-coaster emotional ride for the parents and families of the girls and Nigerians,” he said.
The APCPCO asked President Jonathan to take a moment and imagine that it was one of his own children who had been kidnapped and missing for almost a year.
“No amount of money disbursements or promises or emissaries would assuage the pain and extinguish the torment,” Shehu said.
“All that those poor parents need at this time is to have their children back with them.”
The statement also regretted the initial two-week delay which saw President Jonathan saying absolutely nothing immediately after the girls were kidnapped.
“Valuable time was lost then. We cannot afford to still be dillydallying,” Shehu said.
He added: “This is one of those times when action is supposed to speak louder than words.”
