President Muhammadu Buhari has said while the rescue and safe return of the remaining 218 Chibok schoolgirls remains a top priority of his administration, he will not allow himself fall for the antics of fraudsters who have been asking for money to negotiate the release the girls.
The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan is reported to have approved $40 million (about N13.6bn) for negotiation of the release of the Chibok girls, which failed.
Receiving the Primate and Archbishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) at the State House, on Friday, President Buhari said his administration would continue to insist on a thorough authentication of the identities and bona fides of any persons or groups claiming to have custody of the girls before entering into negotiations with them.
The President, however, assured the Anglican Bishops of his steadfast commitment to the rescue of the girls, saying their safe return would be one of his greatest fulfilments in office as President.
Buhari also assured the clerics that the Federal Government would give maximum attention to the clean up of Ogoni land, which was launched Thursday.
‘‘We inherited the United Nations Environmental Project report from the previous administration. We decided it needed urgent attention, in spite of the economic crunch because of our concern for the welfare and environmental comfort of the people of Ogoni land,’’ a statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, quoted the President to have said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Nicholas Okoh, pledged the support of the church in helping the Federal Government achieve its objectives of improving security and the welfare of Nigerians.
Emerging from the President’s office, Okoh spoke about Buhari’s performance in the last one year, stating that he believed the President would do better in the coming year.
“We believe that so far its been okay because of the difficulties of the time and between now and the next one year we are looking forward to something more direct now.
“Something that will get to the people easily, so far for the first year it is trying to clear the table, prepare the place, make the work move forward we look forward to a better 2016-2017 budget year that you can see that with the long delay in budget, the issue of padding we were not able to begin easily.
“So, the next one we know will be better that is why we are talking in that way, it is okay for now but it could be better,” he said.
On what they had come to discuss with the President he said: “We told him many things, but part of what we are all looking for solution to issues of the herdsmen, issue of vandalism on security in one way or the other because the people are asking us and we want to have explanation for the people whom we lead.”
