THE Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday said that Chibok school girls were on the verge of being released in May 2014 but was scuttled by an unnamed Borno State indigene at the last minute.
The party leadership also contradicted what its rival, the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the party which spoke about the undesirability of exchanging Boko Haram commanders with the 82 girls released at the weekend.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the acting Deputy National Chairman of the party, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, said former President Goodluck Jonathan had raised a negotiation committee to negotiate with representatives of the insurgent group and progress was being made until it was scuttled.
Ojougboh who said he was a member of the negotiation committee, explained: “When in May 2014 we were to receive these girls, we had already committed every resource available, logistics were made but when we got to the negotiating point, the International Red Cross, myself and lady doctor from the SSS, we were disappointed.”
“Why were we disappointed? We were disappointed because somebody from within Borno state got wind about the development about the release and scuttled it.”
He however expressed happiness that many of the girls have regained their freedom, noting that while the Makarfi-led PDP NCC have issues with freeing Boko Haram commanders in exchange for the girls’ release, the Sheriff-led PDP fully backed government’s action.
Ojougboh said: “In this country today, there is cause for happiness and jubilation over the release of the 82 Chibok girls.”
“The PDP welcomes it, the PDP congratulates the president, the armed forces, the Embassy and people of Switzerland, especially the International Red Cross, all partners who have worked assiduously for the release of the Chibok girls.”
“The attention of the party has been drawn to a statement made by the rebel group criticizing aspects of the release of Chibok girls. Let us make it clear that the effort and the battle to release the Chibok girls started a long time ago.”
“In effect, sometime in May 2014, a consultant of the World Bank visited Nigeria and approached Chief E.K. Clark and told Chief E. K. Clark that the Chibok girls were alive and they could be rescued.”
“Chief E. K. Clark made contact with the then president, Goodluck Jonathan and he authorized Chief Clark to nominate a trustworthy person to negotiate on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria for the release of the Chibok girls.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud today to tell you that I am the one who was nominated to negotiate the release of the Chibok girls.”
“The party that was put together on behalf of the government of Nigeria are the following persons: the then Director of SSS, the then Chief of Defense Staff, General Barde; the Chief Security Officer to Mr. President then, and my humble self.”
“Senator Shehu Sani and a particular businessman and owner of a school in Borno that I cannot call his name for obvious reasons, were the people who contacted the persons to represent Boko Haram.”
“And we held series of meetings – the International Red Cross, the Embassy of Switzerland, we took these representatives of Boko Haram to the International Red Cross and to the Embassy of Switzerland. They gave us time, they studied what information we had and they approved it.”
“Arrangements were made to release the Chibok girls sometimes in May 2014. Provisions were made, persons were gathered. I went for the meeting for the exchange, conditions were set. The conditions that were set involved the release of the Boko Haram prisoners.”
“When the Boko Haram representatives met us first, what they told us was that 10 of their mallams were arrested in Bauchi when they were praying. When we took information to the SSS and to then Chief of Defense Staff, General Barde, they laughed.”
“They said, no. These people they gave us their names, which I still have till today, they are not mallams. They were hard and toughened Boko Haram terrorists.”
“We took the information to Mr. President, Mr. President then said, ‘look, whatever it takes to release the Chibok girls,’ any swap that these people demand, he approved it. Jonathan approved it.”
“So, the idea that the swap of the Boko Haram girls with prisoners is not necessary, I will tell you that it is PDP government that initiated it.”
“When Jonathan left office, the International Red Cross, the Embassy and people of Switzerland, the then ambassador of the Switzerland and the current one continued with the process.”
“We are very happy that these 82 girls have been released, we are also very concerned about the remaining girls and we urge the federal government, we give them kudos to continue this process of negotiations and whatever it takes to release the remaining girls should be done.”
The party prayed for the full recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari to enable him contest the 2019 presidential election in which it vowed that the PDP would thrash him.
Ojougbohh added: “We pray for the health of Mr. President because we the PDP are working assiduously and we are focusing that we will meet him in the field in 2019 and teach the APC Politics 001 when we would regain power at the centre.
“So, we pray that Mr. President should recover quickly so that he can join us in the field for the general election. May the almighty God help him and cure him.”
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