Yesufu stated this in reaction to the increasing rate of abductions of schoolchildren in the country, when she featured on a Channels Television programme, on Friday.

According to Yesufu, Buhari has not done much to address the situation, and as such, his body language “enables terrorists”.

Earlier on Friday, armed bandits attacked Government Girls Secondary School, Jangede, Talata-Mafara local government area of Zamfara, and abducted 317 students.

This is the second time within the past two weeks that bandits will abduct schoolchildren — on February 17, a total of 27 students were kidnapped from Government Science College, Kagara, Niger state.

Reacting, the activist said the statement of the president that his administration will ensure the safe release of the schoolchildren doesn’t show much on action.

“What I make of the statement is absolutely nothing. We are used to a president whose words mean nothing. He says one thing, and another thing happens,” she said.

“The body language of President Muhammadu Buhari enables the terrorists. They know that we have an ineffective president and commander-in-chief. We have an incompetent one, a clueless one, who does not even bother about what is happening in the country.

“Yesterday, we buried seven military officers — the best that we have. The nation was in mourning and the president was a few minutes away from where they were, and the president didn’t even turn up. What does that signify? It is high time we begin to make serious demands on the president.”

She added that it is the responsibility of the government to protect citizens, adding that it is part of the president’s job description.

“It is not in our place to give the way forward. His salaries are being paid for it; his needs are being taken care of. He was voted to give the way forward,” Yesufu said.

“This is such a sad moment, especially with the fact that our government has not learnt anything in spite of almost seven years of advocacy that we’ve been calling on the government to do the right thing, and to do the needful to ensure that the citizens are protected.”

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The show is the latest installment from Forbes Woman Africa (www.ForbesAfrica.com) depicting the journey of some of the most influential women in West and South Africa who have achieved remarkable feats whiles defying the odds.

In the first episode, Oby Ezekwesili, creator of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign talks about her harrowing experience in fighting corruption in Nigeria from her early days as the co-founder of Transparency International to the shock and horror of finding out about the abduction of over 270 girls in Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria.

The post Ezekwesili debuts in first episode of Forbes Woman Africa, Against The Odds with Peace Hyde appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The group said, Thursday, in a press statement that they welcomed the reports of the girls’ release.

“This wonderful development confirms what we have always known about the capacity of our government to rescue our #ChibokGirls,” said the statement, signed by the group’s leaders, Aisha Yesufu and Oby Ezekwesili.

“While awaiting further details, we take this opportunity to salute the work of our security services at the front lines – the commitment, resilience and tireless efforts of our members of the Multi-national Joint Task Force and the civilian JTF.

“We also thank the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Swiss government and all negotiators involved in securing the release.

“Following this development, we trust that our government will continue to work to keep the safety, security, and well-being of the other girls a high priority.

“We further urge the international community to continue to support our government’s effort to rescue all other abducted Nigerians, so that parents, the Chibok community, the nation, and the world can finally put an end to this nightmare once and for all,” the group said.

Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 female students from a secondary school in Chibok on April 14, 2014, provoking international outrage.

More than 50 managed to escape on the day they were captured.
Since then, there has only been one confirmed release. In May, 19-year-old Amina Nkeki was found by the Civilian JTF.

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The parents, who joined the #BringBackOurGirls coalition on Thursday for another protest march to the Presidential Villa, were again stopped by armed policemen.

A representative of the parents, Rev. Enoch Mark, accused the Federal Government of not doing enough to rescue the girls, saying the government should negotiate for their release.

Mark, whose two daughters were among the 219 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram, said he suffered a stroke while worrying about his daughters.

He insisted that Buhari must negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of the schoolgirls.

“We cast our votes for Buhari because he promised to rescue our girls. Now, the parents are asking you, Mr. President, to meet the insurgents and make a decision.

“Either use the military force or go for negotiation; some countries are ready to give you a helping hand. What are you waiting for? Are you not interested in bringing back our girls?

“We have intelligence agencies in Nigeria; there is nothing in this country that they don’t know. Why didn’t you give them orders to bring back our girls?

“Are you not a General? You know what is happening and you know where our daughters are. Buhari, if you feel that you are incapable of rescuing the girls, step down now and give it (power) to someone else. We have many intelligent persons in the country who can handle this situation. You cannot tell us that you don’t know where the girls are.”

Mark, who uses a walking stick, accused the Federal Government of not communicating with the parents of the abducted girls.

He cited the Malaysian government’s handling of the Malaysian MH370 air crash, noting that the government regularly communicated with the families of the crash victims during the incident.

“For two months now, I have not been able to sleep; I had stroke while thinking of my two daughters. General Buhari, had your daughters been among these girls, how will you feel? How will you feel with your daughter in enemies’ hands? You are responsible for the rescue of these girls. You are responsible for my daughters’ safety.

“When the Malaysian plane crashed, the Malaysian government was in touch with the families of the victims, but you are not talking to Chibok girls’ parents,” he added.

The aggrieved father said Buhari did not empathise with the Chibok parents when they visited him at the Presidential Villa in January.

“You intimidated us; you said you were frustrated, you were not happy with us. Are we not Nigerians? If Buhari feels he does not know (the girls’ location), let him step down and hand over to someone else,” Mark added.

The Co-convener, BBOG, Oby Ezekwesili, who read a statement on behalf of the group, said the members would march to the Presidential Villa again in 72 hours if there was no positive response from the Federal Government.

The group noted the attack on Shawa Village in the Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and acknowledged the courage and gallantry of the soldiers in the frontlines, including the Multinational Joint Task Force and the Civilian JTF, and urged them to remain resilient in the face of attacks.

The BBOG called for an investigation into the handling of salaries and emoluments of troops, saying complaints about their poor feeding and allowances were unacceptable.

It challenged the government to demonstrate the political will to rescue the girls by taking a definite action on the issue.

It said, “Reports from a former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, after a meeting with Mr. President suggest that the Federal Government’s position remains a lack of credible intelligence.

“Coming over seven months since our engagement with Mr. President on January 14, and considering the lack of feedback on rescue efforts, this strengthens the position that there has been no focused, coherent and consistent operation to rescue our girls.

“Having submitted four cogent reasons why it could not be said that there is a lack of credible intelligence during our meeting in January, and three further reasons just three days ago, the discussion must shift from credible intelligence to political will to decide on a line of action.”

The BBOG said the claim by the military that it had fatally injured Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, made it the fourth time that the security forces had announced that they had killed the terrorist.

Also, the Chibok community, in a statement by its spokesman, Dr Manasseh Allen, reiterated its calls for negotiation with Boko Haram for the release of the girls.

It said the escape of one of the girls, Amina Ali, in May 2016 had bridged the gap of absence of intelligence and called on the government and its agencies to live up to their duties.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom pledged to do whatever it could to assist in finding the girls.

The UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, said this when the BBOG members met with him in Abuja.

He said, “UK stands in solidarity with the Chibok people; the girls are global citizens; so, we will do whatever we can to partner the Nigerian government to help find the girls.”

Attempts to speak with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, proved abortive as his phone rang out.

He had yet to reply to a text message sent to his mobile phone as of press time.

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They expressed their regrets on in Abuja at a protest rally over the inability of the government to take measures to rescue the over 200 school girls kidnapped by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, in their school in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014.

Boko Haram had last week released a video of the girls who are still alive and said they were willing to trade the girls in exchange for their members in detention in various prisons.

One of the girls, Maida Yakubu, who also spoke in the video asked their parents to beg the Nigerian government to accede to the demand of Boko Haram so that they would be released.

Speaking during the protest on Monday, the chairman of the Chibok Community, Hosea Tsambido said members of the Community and BBOG voted massively for Buhari as against his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, who they voted for in 2011.

“They tell us that our girls seen in the latest video was merely an arrangement. No one has spoken to the family of any of the Chibok girls since the last video was released, by the terrorists. We regret our votes. We regret it.”

Speaking further, the community leader said, “We were promised that the president would visit Sambisa, after becoming president. We were also told that within two weeks our girls would be rescued.

“But over one year now, there is no tangible statement about our girls. The presidency has stated instead that it is confused.”

The BBOG group said it was embarking on a fresh 14-day campaign to re-energize the clamour for the rescue of the girls.

The protesters who were heading for the Presidential villa to speak with the president as they usually do during their protests, were however, stopped by a combined team of security personnel at the entrance of the three arms zone.

The group said the current administration has ran out of excuses regarding the return of the Chibok girls. “No more excuses,” they chanted several times.

Meanwhile, a pro-Buhari group, the Buhari Media Support Group, (BMSG), had appealed to the “BringBackOurGirls” (BBOG) to shelve today’s demonstration to the Presidential Villa.

The group in a statement by one of its members, Muhammad Labbo, said that was necessary to avoid complications and anything capable of undermining efforts of the government to rescue the girls unharmed.‬

Labbo noted that playing politics with the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls was unhelpful and embarrassing to the government and counterproductive to the silent efforts of the military to rescue them.‬

‪He said the government would take serious exception to the mobilisation of the parents of the kidnapped girls to score political advantage or exploiting the tragedy to play to the gallery.‬

Labbo said dragging the parents of the victims to Abuja for endless demonstrations would only compound a bad situation, and give them the impression that a rescue mission “is as simple as abc.”

‪According to him, the BringBackOur Girls Group should not claim monopoly of patriotism and humanity over the government by seeking to undermine the silent efforts of the military to map out strategies to safely rescue the girls.‬

‪He said if there was a formula for rescuing the girls within 24 hours unharmed, government would have done that, reminding the Bring Back Our Girls group of the complexities and sensitivity of hostage rescue missions.‬

‪”The terrorists have no rules of engagement and therefore, would not mind killing all the hostages if the Nigerian military attempts any rash action,” he said.

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Alhassan, who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, incurred the wrath of the BBOG group led by a former Minister of Education, Obby Ezekwezili, when she told them they were not invited to the Villa.

#BringBackOurGirls campaigners, Chibok girls parents storm Aso Rock

A statement by the women group signed by Asabe Jonathan, Amina Danboyi and Catherine Adi-Adebayo, called on Taraba women to condemn Alhassan’s attack on BBOG and obvious insensitivity to the plight of the Chibok girls’ parents.

“Many parents all over the world were shocked that Aisha, a mother and grandmother, should talk like that. She didn’t show any kindness nor any milk of motherhood to those haggard parents who have been traumatised by
their loss.

“Aisha, who wants to be our first female governor, did not exhibit any motherly attitude at all. As a minister of women affairs, she just behaved like a typical Jezebel with wickedness and callousness towards these poor parents who travelled all the way from Askira Uba to Abuja.

“Even if she cannot tell Chibok parents where their children are as the government is claiming, couldn’t she at least welcome them? As a fellow mother, was it too difficult to comfort the troubled parents and be nice to them instead of condescendingly insulting them?

Two years after, Buhari orders investigation into Chibok girls kidnap

“We are therefore calling on all Taraba women to rise and condemn this Aisha’s comments with a very loud voice. She has not represented us at all and she has NOT behaved like a Taraba woman.

“We are not known for such devilish ways and wickedness. We are not the abusers and insulter of mothers, grandmothers, fathers and family members of our despondent fellow Chibok parents.

“We apologise to the entire country and state clearly that Aisha did not portray us in good light. She acted based on her personal selfish conviction. Some of us were even her supporters as she want to become governor but lately we have been reviewing our relationship with her.

“We noted how she almost drag judges into her own crisis at the Appeal Court by saying, in a video that leaked, that she knew the judgement before it was made public.

“She then started blaming her opponents and denying the video. All these showcase her as a woman lacking in character and deficient in knowledge. She doesn’t exhibit the motherliness and wisdom of matan Taraba (Taraba women)! We are even wondering if she is from here.

“We thus call on all and sundry to sign a petition wherein we are telling Aisha to stop calling herself mama Taraba. She cannot possibly be our mother after refusing to align with Chibok parents in their distress. We can’t find the decorum, decency and humanity to qualify her for that title.

“Aisha attack of Chibok parents just confirms our worst fears that she is just a callous, vindictive, detached and aloof individual who didn’t deserve our support, let alone our loyalty.

“Please Nigerians should, once again, take note that we disassociate ourselves from Aisha’s outburst. We do not endorse it in anyway and it is not representative of us. We are not like that in character and words. As true Taraba women, we feel the pains of Chibok parents in full.

“We were also aghast when Aisha’s boss announced that the girls whereabouts are unknown. Because when under the last regime, General Alex Badeh said he knows where the girls are, we were hopeful. Now that hope has been finally crushed, Aisha’s unfortunate comments only poured more salt to the painful injury. Her uncaring treatment of the women is a slap on all that we hold dear. She has also become the monster in the nightmare of all women.

“And to the Chibok parents, we authentic Taraba women pledge our prayers and continuous support in this time of needs. We also offer our apologies for the barbaric behaviour of the minister who could not muster the courage to minister to the need of her constituency. From today, she is no more Mama Taraba. She has been stripped of that title till further notice,” the group stated.

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No fewer than 200 of the original 300 schoolgirls kidnapped from their dormitory in April 2014 are believed to still remain in the custody of the terrorists.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in his maiden Media Chat on radio and television on Wednesday that government had no intelligence on the whereabouts of the schoolgirls.

He promised to negotiate with the Boko Haram leadership if there is evidence showing where the girls are.

Online publication, The Cable, quoted Salkida Monday as asking Buhari to use state machinery to open up access to the militants rather than say he has no clue on the kidnapped girls whose abductions sparked off the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

“Most of the Chibok girls, whether they are split into groups or not, are alive, multiple credible sources have told me. And if a deal to release them will weaken national security and endanger the entire country, then the federal government shouldn’t make a deal,” Salkida said.

He added:“I am confident that Chibok girls and other captives can return to their families if the government is half as strong-willed as some of the girls in captivity that have refused to be married out or give up their faith.

“The girls would have never backed out of any process, no matter how irritating it is. They would stay on and negotiate hard until they get a deal that will earn them their freedom and stop such abductions so that no one else can ever witness their woeful plight.”

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau — from whom nothing has been heard in the last 10 months — once released a video of the schoolgirls and said he had sold them off to marriage. All efforts to free the girls have failed.

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Ms. Usman, has served the All Progressives Congress, APC in a number of committees and capacities as the Administrative Secretary of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organization, Member APC Strategy Committee and Member Secretary APC Elections Planning Committee, among others.

Similarly, during the gubernatorial campaign of El-Rufai, she was Director of Finance in the Campaign Organization, and later the Kaduna State APC Campaign Council.

Hadiza Usman started the strongest campaign for the rescue of the kidnapped Chibok Girls with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls which went viral all around the world.

Other appointments include Special Assistant on New Media, Bashir Dabo and Personal Secretary to the governor, Saude Amina Mohammed.

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A statement released by the president’s office Wednesday said that Jonathan found the banners “offensive and repugnant” and had ordered they be immediately removed.

“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has directed that the #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 signs and banners around Abuja which he and many Nigerians find offensive and repugnant be brought down immediately,” the statement said.

The banners, displayed at strategic positions in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, triggered swift reactions in Nigeria and abroad, with critical articles appearing in international media outlets, including the BBC and the Washington Post.

The #BringBackOurGirls Twitter hashtag was coined to help galvanise international support for the release of nearly 300 schoolgirls abducted April 14 in Chibok, Borno State, by extremist sect, Boko Haram.

While more than 200 of the girls remain in captivity, the campaign became a rallying point and is deemed amongst the social media’s most popular campaigns yet.

Washington Post’s columnist, Ishaan Tharoor, described the #BringBackJonathan2015 hashtag for a government that has failed to rescue the girls nearly five months after, as likely the “most inappropriate hashtag of the year”.

“It’s not clear whether Jonathan has officially endorsed the new hashtag, but its seeming ubiquity suggests that he is not opposed to it,” Tharoor wrote.

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Kwankwaso, who spoke with reporters in his office at the weekend, also advised the presidency to reduce the level of hatred and bitterness among Nigerians, if the government was actually interested in resolving the problem of insecurity.

According to him, the real cause of insecurity in the country is bad leadership being experienced in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) -led government, noting that the inability of President Jonathan to tackle the issue of insurgency in the North and insecurity in other parts of the country has exposed Jonathan’s incompetence to preside over the affairs of Nigeria.

“Now, they are just using propaganda. Look at the issue of the abduction of Chibok girls. The schoolgirls have been in captivity and they kept arguing —where are the names, who are they, where are the photographs; they didn’t believe that over 200 children were abducted.

“Haba! Even if it is 20 tortoise or goats! Won’t you look for them? One of the reasons I love this country is that we have people of integrity in all the regions, in all the states like my former colleague, former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili.

“This is somebody who worked at the World Bank, but now she has devoted her time to the cause of these girls. She is not from this part of the country, but she felt she had to take the bull by the horns and that is what we are seeing in developed countries—fight injustice, save people, help them, if you have the opportunity to do so.

“They sent some hawks to go and stop the protesters. The other day, I went to Abuja, I saw an advertisement, while Ezekwesili was saying ‘BringBackOurGirls’, some people were saying ‘vote for us, we want to stay and maintain the status quo; look at my photograph, I am smiling.’ And they don’t know time is of essence.

“At the moment, the country is in a critical situation, and if this madness is not stopped and if it is allowed to degenerate, and becomes the order of the day, whereby innocent people are being killed every day, then something is wrong with the leadership.

“What Nigeria requires now is a strong leadership that can effectively tackle the insurgency in the North-East, and other topical security challenges,” he said.

Kwankwaso then suggested that one major way to restore normalcy in the northern part of the country was to draw out a Marshal Plan for the region, and urged Jonathan to stamp his feet as the Commander –In-Chief of the Armed Forces, to tackle this security issue.

The governor challenged the President to think seriously about the statement made by General T.Y Danjuma, (rtd), who suggested that President Jonathan lead Nigerians to Sambisa Forest to rescue the abducted Chibok girls.

“What the President must realise is that nobody can run a country by luck. You can win election by luck, but you cannot be lucky all the time. So Goodluck as his name implies should look beyond luck in handling the affairs of this country. What Nigeria requires is a strong leadership that will stop all this nonsense or in the alternative, negotiate from the point of strength with the insurgents,” Kwankwaso noted.

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