By Levinus Nwabughiogu
ABUJA – Former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, Chief Audu Ogbe has said that Bring Back our Girls group (BBOG) is neither
an armed nor a hostile organization WORKING against the Nigerian government or its
agencies.
Rather, he stated that the organization was one that shows
concern and sympathy over the plight of the missing Chibok girls.
In a release in Abuja yesterday, the former chairman who is now a chieftain
of the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, said that without the BBOG,
Nigeria would have portrayed herself to the world as a strange society that cared for nothing
about human -life, especially those of the children.
He lambasted the federal government for inviting the Chibok parents to Abuja “for
condolences”, regretting that while the rest of the has continued to express
shock over the unfortunate incident, Nigeria has resorted to playing politics with the matter.
He said: “The BBOG is not an armed group. It is not antagonistic
to government. It is just a group that asks; how can you go to sleep in the
face of such a tragedy! It is a group of parents who are human enough to ask
themselves, ‘WHAT IF ONE OF OUR CHILDREN WAS ONE OF THESE GIRLS?’
“The activities of our own Bring Back our Girls group (BBOG) are
seen as hostile and inimical to the comfort of certain persons in government.
When the government decided to see the parents of the abducted girls, they had
to be invited to Abuja in a very strange and ironical reverse of normal protocol, The bereaved had to
be invited to REPORT in Abuja for condolence.
“The sum of N 100m was rumoured to have been given to them, out
of which only N22.5m got to the parents. What happened to the balance of N77.5m
was never told to the Nigerian public.
“Don’t we deserve an explanation? But for the BBOG, Nigeria
would have portrayed herself to the world as a strange society that cares
nothing for human -life, especially those of the children.
“While the rest of the world from Africa, Europe, Asia and the
Pacific rose up in shocked reaction to this tragedy, we at home here have
succumbed to petty politics and ethnic chauvinism.”
Ogbe also decried the indifferent attitude of most Nigerians to
the predicament of the missing girls and their distraught parents.
“What kind of people are we really? How do we hope to receive
God’s blessings and abundant life when, deep in our hearts, even in our highly
placed POSITIONS,
we are capable of such callous indifference in the face of tragedy and grief?
Many of the Chibok parents have died off. Many of the communities from which
they were abducted have been totally scattered.
“This is what baffles one when some people treat the BBOG Group
as some hostile organization. What would have been wrong if the President of
the Federal Republic had invited the same group and OPENED up to them? That would have rated him very
highly. It would appear that his handlers prefer to keep him in the closet,
telling him that everybody who holds a different opinion is an enemy and in the
process making him fail to do what ordinarily would have shown him to be a
caring leader.
“How do we as a country expect love from God when we have none
to offer each other? How do we want God’s blessings for this country when we
are so short on charity and goodwill for one another? How do we think the rest
of the world actually perceives us?” He asked.
Ogbe made a pledge of proclaiming President Goodluck Jonathan a
national hero and march the streets in appreciation of his effort should the
truce recently brokered between the federal government and Boko Haram become a
reality.
“Finally, the truce which government says is coming. If it comes
through, we can assure the Federal government that all Nigerians, all of us,
irrespective of party leaning will march on the streets to congratulate the
President and his Government, especially the security agencies. He will then be
our national hero”, he said.
While congratulating the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Kenneth
Minimah and the entire security apparatus in the country, Ogbe however
cautioned against making the truce a hoax.
“However, one would OPENLY like to congratulate General Minimah. His
arrival has shown a clear difference. We are proud of him and pray for him. But
we also want to warn and caution that the truce may end up as hoax. It is
already being violated.
“And for the girls, one wonders if the claim by the so called
representatives of Boko Haram that they are safe and will be brought back is to
be believed. Are they in one hostel somewhere from where they will be returned
as we are being told? From the stories being told by those who escaped, the
situation may not be as rosy as expected.
“We may have to prepare ourselves for shocks and more misery
when we find that the young girls have been ruined.
“To the gallant security operatives, we express our support and
praise, given the extreme difficulties and danger which they face daily
fighting to secure our fatherland. Let them also be very wary and not let down
their guards because after all, Boko Haram have not laid down their arms.
Optimism must therefore remain very cautious,” he cautioned.
See more story: Vangard
No comments:
Post a Comment