Ogbe promises to declare Jonathan national hero if girls return

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.

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