by S’ola Filani

After nearly 100 days, and repeated demands by citizen groups, President Goodluck Jonathan finally met with both the parents of abducted Chibok girls and the girls who escaped, yesterday, 22 July. The meeting held today at the State House in Abuja.

Present at the closed door meeting were key officials of the government including the Senate President David Mark, Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the principal of the school from which the students were kidnapped, Asaba Kwambura as well as some Heads of Nigeria’s Security Agencies.

Speaking to the parents of the girls and some of the girls who escaped, he reassured them of his administration’s commitment in bringing back the girls,” he said.

“Anyone who gives you the impression that we are aloof and that we are not doing what we are supposed to do to get the girls out is not being truthful.

“Our commitment is not just to get the girls out, it is also to rout Boko Haram completely from Nigeria. But we are very, very mindful of the safety of the girls. We want to return them all alive to their parents. If they are killed in any rescue effort, then we have achieved nothing.

“Our duty now is to take all relevant steps to recover our girls alive and our primary interest is getting them out as safely as possible. I will not want to say much, but we are doing everything humanly possible to get the girls out.

“This not the time for talking much. This is the time for action. We will get to the time that we will tell stories. We will get to the time that we will celebrate and I assure you that, by God’s grace, that time will come soon.

“We solicit your maximum cooperation. Let us work together. Evil can never overcome good. We will surely overcome Boko Haram.”