Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo said he was ready to assist in bringing back the secondary school girls abducted in Chibok by Boko Haram but affirmed that he will never medaite or take any step without getting the approval from the presidency.
Obasanjo told Channels he was “surprised at how certain meetings have turned out”.
“I cannot have a plan without the
Presidency being involved”, he added, debunking claims that he was
“going on a one man mission”. He insisted that it would be “idiotic” for
him to have done so.
He noted that he was beaten by Sani to
letting the state and national authorities know the meeting had taken
place and admitted that he owed the government an apology
“I have to involve the President and he
also tells me this is what we are doing or this is what we are pursuing
either in addition or along with what we are doing or not,” he said.
Obasanjo said “Boko Haram (sect) has
been in existence for years…they didn’t disturb my government because
when I was in government I did not disturb their Sharia.” He declared:
“Sharia is part of our constitution.”
Speaking on the statement by Chief of
Defence Staff Air Marshal Alex Bardeh that where the abducted girls are
being kept had been found, Obasanjo urged the military not to engage in
public relations stunts with the issue.
He said:”This is not an issue that you
will play Public Relations propaganda with. It is a serious issue that
is like a spear in the heart of the parents and whatever statement we
make and action we take, if it will not really deal with the issue in a
way that will bring those girls out safe and secure and make their
families happy and will also give every Nigerian a sense of security,
then such statements should not be made.”.
He added that the American forces have
the means to confirm or debunk the statement made by the CDS but
remarked, “I will be pleasantly surprised if those girls are returned
intact.”
