Nigeria’s Economy Bounces Back As IMF Rates It First: South Africa, Egypt Take Back Seat

October 19, 2016

A new report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected Nigeria as Africa’s biggest economy, in spite of its current challenges.
Nigeria is placed ahead of South Africa and Egypt which are second and third respectively.
In August, Nigeria was reported to have lost its position as Africa’s biggest economy to South Africa, following the recalculation of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
But the IMF’s World Economic Outlook for October, puts Nigeria’s GDP at 415.08 billion dollars, from 493.83 billion dollars in 2015, while South Africa’s GDP was put at 280.36 billion dollars, from 314.73 billion dollars in 2015.
According to the report, Egypt’s 2016 data is not available, but its 2015 size remained at 330.159 dollars while that of Algeria, one of the largest economies on the continent, is put at 168.318 billion dollars.
The United States, China and Japan maintain their spots as the largest economies in the world, ahead of Germany, United Kingdom and France.
According to a review in September, the current economic recession will outlast 2016, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contraction of 1.7 per cent.
The IMF had predicted that Nigeria’s economy would grow away from a recession in 2017.
The country last witnessed a recession, for less than a year, in 1991, and experienced a prolonged one that started in 1982 and lasted until 1984.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has so far disbursed over N700 billion in capital expenditure this year, part of a record N6.06 trillion (30 billion dollars) budget for 2016.

NAN. [myad]

If You Cannot Resist Bribe, Please Resign, Police Boss Warns Men And Officers

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

An Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police in Charge of Zone 11, comprising Oyo, Osun and Ondo states, Mr. Dan Bature, has asked men and officers of the Force who cannot resist corruption and bribe taking to tender their resignation before they are caught.
Bature who spoke today, Wednesday, in Ibadan during a two-day familiarization visit to Oyo State, said that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is committed to changing the negative image of the police and supporting the anti corruption war of the Federal Government.
Bature advised officers who cannot key into the laudable initiatives of the IGP to resign from the force even as he insisted that a lot is expected by the public from the police.
“The Inspector General of Police is determined to improve on your welfare and pursue the increment of your salary. But this can only be achieved when the people have good perception about the police.”
The police boss also warned the men and officers to desist from carrying out checks on vehicle particulars, stressing that it is illegal for them to check vehicle particulars on the highways.
He said that the duty of the police is not to check vehicle particulars but to ensure safer roads.
The police boss warned policemen against blocking high ways, reminding them that the patrol vehicles are not supposed to be toll gates.
Earlier, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Sam Adegbuyi, confirmed that the officers are dedicated and patriotic.
Adegbuyi said that in view of the population of Oyo State, the command needed to create three more Area Commands in addition to the existing four commands.
He commended the AIG, Oyo government and the Police Community Relation Committee for the successes recorded so far in the fight against crime.
NAN. [myad]

Defeated PDP’s Candidate In Edo Guber Poll, Ize-Iyamu Goes To Court

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the recently concluded Edo state governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has formally filed a petition before the Edo State election petitions tribunal in Benin, challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki as winner of the September 28 2016 poll.
Addressing newsmen today, Wednesday, Ize-Iyamu who rationalized the decision of his party to contest the results of the election as declared by INEC said that the party has in the last few weeks, studied the situations hence the decision to come to the elections petitions tribunal.
“We have studied the situation and sure that we are ready to show to the world that the election was rigged. We are here to seek redress for the results which we strongly believe was rigged against us. And I have to do this in agreement with my party and that is why you are seeing my chairman and other party chieftain here with me.
“You could recall that when in campaign period the people kept asking on paramount question, as to whether we will defend their vote when they vote for us and we did assure them that we will.
“And of course that gave them a huge encouragement which was on display on the very day of election when the people trooped out in large numbers to vote. Seeing that their mandate seems to be stolen we have to make do with our promise of defending their vote and that is why we are here at the tribunal today.”
Speaking also, the state Party chairman, Chief Dan Osi Orbih who was at the tribunal with Senator Mathew Uroghide (PDP, Edo south), assured the peace-loving people of Edo state to stay put even as he expressed his conviction that the tribunal will grant all party’s involved fair hearing.
Also speaking, the Senator said he is confident that the party’s candidate will emerge the winner of the Edo governorship poll because he was the actual winner of the election contrary to the INEC proclamation.
In the petition before the tribunal, the PDP is asking that it be declared winner of the Edo state 2016 governorship election because, it scored the highest number of valid lawful votes cast. [myad]

Justice Inyang Okoro Is A Liar, Umana Umana Swears

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

The Akwa Ibom state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 election, Mr. Umana Okon Umana has described Justice Inyang Okoro as a liar over allegations the Judge raised against him on attempt to bribe the judge.

In a statement, Umana said that the letter which Justice Inyang Okoro wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, alleging that he, Umana, visited his residence (Justice Okoro’s) and made a “request to help him win his appeal before the Supreme Court” was a fabrication.

Umana then responded to Justice Okoro’s allegation as follows:

1) The meeting Justice Okoro is reporting is fiction. No such meeting to discuss how to bribe judges took place between him, Mr Umana Okon Umana and Dr (Pastor) Ebebe Ukpong as alleged.

2) If we assume, without conceding, that such a meeting took place, for a man of Justice Okoro’s standing and knowledge of the law, he ought to have known the legal implications of such a visit, and should have reported it to appropriate authorities immediately. He did not do that, but he is only reacting after the authorities have established a case against him.

3) Justice Okoro’s claim in his purported letter to the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria is therefore not only false, it is diversionary and an afterthought.

4) Justice Okoro should address himself to the facts of the case, which is between him and the State, and leave Umana out of it

5) Contrary to Justice Okoro’s claim, Umana had no appeal before the Supreme Court arising from any court judgment on the 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State. Umana had won at the Court of Appeal and therefore was not and couldn’t have been an appellant at the Supreme Court. Umana had won both at the tribunal and at the Court of Appeal. He was therefore confident of victory at the Supreme Court because of the concurrent judgments of the lower courts.

6) It would be recalled that after the Supreme Court judgment, which ignored the concurrent judgments of both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal, and also totally disregarded the reports of the international observers, including those of the United States Government and the European Union which stated that the elections in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states were marred by widespread violence and irregularities, Umana had issued a statement expressing disappointment at the verdict and said he had moved on and left everything in the hands of God. He should therefore be left alone. [myad]

Taraba Governor Votes For Youths As Partners In Progress

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

Governor Darius Ishaku, in finding more creative ways if constructively engaging them, has described youths in the state as partners in progress and a corner stone of his Rescue Mission.
According to the governor, young people in the state have continued to give him reasons to rejoice, even as he assured them of his commitment to their well being.
He called on them not to lose hope in the face of the current harsh economic realities, assuring them of better days ahead.
The governor, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Emmanuel Bello said: “youths matter to me and I has always emphasised this.
“You know during the campaign, he (the governor) was always with the youth trying to get a unique glimpse into their challenges. No young person should feel abandoned as the governor is always thinking and planning for them.
“Let me point out that Governor Ishaku’s love for the youth stems from the fact that he is first and foremost a father that has youngsters at home. He once told me that, in a way, he deeply feels in his heart that all young people are his children. “Whatever he wishes for his ward, he wishes for them too. “He was also a teacher, a fact that saw him dealing with youth matters especially their educational excellence. He is abreast with students unionism as a university don. Beyond these, he is also an avid follower of youth engagements within and outside the state. “Don’t forget too that as a former minister of state for the Niger Delta, the rehabilitation of critical youths from the creeks was one of his main duties. It was, obviously, a difficult and daunting task which he carried out well.
“It is to his credit that he contributed immensely to them in terms of scholarship and skill acquisitions culminating in the production of a phone by the youth called MINDA, that is, Made In Niger Delta.
“Governor Ishaku fervently likes the innovation of young minds with the same intensity he frowns at thuggery, drug abuse and other anti social behavior.
“The governor is therefore aware of the issues and is tackling them. One way is doing this is to provide the basis for self employment. Reliable and steady supply of electricity, for instance, has greatly impacted on the work many young people are involved with. Ensuring peace and security and working towards harmony has helped the youths too. The governor also appointed an aide from that demography to compliment the work of his commissioner of youth. That is the seriousness he attaches to youth matters.
“I can assure the youths that the governor is support any initiative by youth geared towards growth. As I write this, the governor and his team are working towards greater interaction with the youths at all levels where he would expand his base with them.
“This would come in a way of periodic town halls and more direct contact with the governor at the grassroots.” [myad]

Operators Owe Nigeria Maritime Agency $420.5 Million – Peterside

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has said that some operators in the maritime industry are owing the Agency about $420.5 from 2004 to date.
According to Peterside, at an engagement with the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration in Abuja, refuted the claim that the Agency was owed over $10 billion.
Peterside said that the freight element of shipping of shipping trade in the last four years is not up to USD10bn, saying: “the entire freight element of shipping trade in Nigeria in the last four years is less than $10bn.”
In response to a petition received by the Committee purporting that the Agency had engaged a consultant to assist in recovering its money without following due process, the Director General said that due process was followed in selecting the Consultant as the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) issued a Certificate of No Objection for the purpose.
He said that the Agency has been making concerted efforts to recover the debts with little success, adding that this had necessitated the Management, utilising international best practices, to employ the services of a consultant to assist in recovering these funds.
It will be recalled that the Agency had engaged the services of Messrs Snecou
Financial Services Company Limited to assist in recovering debts owed NIMASA which are put at $420.5 million with the aim of channelling the funds
into developing critical infrastructure as well as engaging knowledgeable manpower for the maritime industry. [myad]

Late Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. Inspired Ogoni Land Healing Process – Buhari In Condolence Message

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Ken Saro-Wiwa Jnr. who died today after a breif illness inspired a healing process in Nigeria by actively participating in the ongoing Ogoni clean-up.
The deceased was the eldest son of activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa who was killed during the regime of General Sani Abacha.
In a condolence message issued by the Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, President Buhari described Saro-Wiwa Jr. as illustrious son, author and environmental activist, who was an ardent believer in the unity, progress and stability of his community.
The President expressed sadness over what he called the sudden and painful passing of a promising Nigerian whose willingness and dedication to the clean-up of Ogoni land inspired a healing process in Nigeria after the death of his father, Ken Saro-Wiwa.
He acknowledged that Saro-Wiwa Jnr. was committed a journalist who served three Nigerian presidents in various capacities, saying that he exemplified patriotism, statesmanship and foresightedness.
President Buhari, who has initiated the process of cleaning up the Niger Delta region, asked family, friends and associates to honour Saro-Wiwa’s memory by making his dream of an environmentally safe, secured and prosperous Ogoni land a reality.
The President prayed to God to comfort all who mourn the deceased and grant his soul eternal rest. [myad]

State Of Emergency Provisions In Turkey Violate Human Rights; Must Be Revoked

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

We, the undersigned organizations, recognize that the Turkish government has the right and responsibility to investigate the violent events of the July 2016 coup attempt and to bring all those responsible to justice.
We also recognize that the immediate aftermath of the attempted coup is the type of exceptional circumstance in which a government could legitimately invoke a state of emergency but still has to comply with their human rights obligations.
We are however increasingly concerned that the far-reaching, almost unlimited discretionary powers exercised by the Turkish authorities during the first three months of the state of emergency – now extended for a further three months – endanger the general principles of rule of law and human rights safeguards.
We call on the Government of Turkey to revoke the measures under the state of emergency, the application of which, in practice is incompatible with Turkey’s human rights obligations.
During the first three months of the state of emergency, the Turkish authorities have abused emergency provisions to stifle dissent, through the detention of large numbers of individuals, including both real and perceived critics of the government and others. The removal of fair trial protections and crucial safeguards against torture and other ill treatment exceed permissible, justified derogations and risk violating the absolute prohibition in international law against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. In practice, the application of the provisions enable sweeping arrests, where those detained are not presented with credible evidence, preventing them from challenging or seeking redress for human rights violations.
In light of this, the extension of the state of emergency and its associated provisions for a further 90 days, starting from 19 October, is extremely worrying. At the very least, we urge the Government of Turkey to narrow the scope of the emergency measures by revoking provisions that enable human rights violations and are not consistent with Turkey’s obligations under international law.
We also urge Turkey’s international partners, in particular the European Union, the United States and relevant international human rights bodies, to publicly and unequivocally condemn the human rights violations occurring in Turkey in the context of the state of emergency. They should also call on the Turkish government to revoke all emergency provisions that enable human rights violations, and rescind the state of emergency, unless the government is able to demonstrate that the domestic situation continues to threaten the life of the nation.

Removal of safeguards against torture and other ill-treatment
Since the failed coup attempt, the Turkish authorities have remanded into pre-trial detention 34,000 soldiers, officers, policemen, judges, prosecutors, journalists, teachers and others. 70,000 people are under criminal investigation. Numerous provisions in Turkey’s emergency decrees have suspended key safeguards that protect detainees from torture and other ill-treatment in ways that violate Turkey’s international obligations and place detainees at risk. They include:
Prolonged police detention for terrorism-related offences and organised crime without legal review – extended from four days to 30 days;
Denial of a detainee’s right to see a lawyer for up to five days and severe restrictions on the right to choose lawyer during police detention;
Interference with confidential access to a counsel, including monitoring and recording of communications at the request of a prosecutor.
In practice law enforcement officials and agents have undermined those safeguards to an extent exceeding even the permissive leeway granted them under the emergency decrees. A number of non-governmental organisations, including Amnesty International, have reported that they have gathered credible evidence that detainees in Turkey were subjected to beatings and torture, including rape.

Abuse of emergency provisions to silence criticism
Provisions of the emergency decrees affect the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and have been used to facilitate the arrest and harassment of journalists, writers and media workers, including:
Empowering higher levels of administration to shut down any media organization;
Enabling the government to impose curfews, ban public meetings, gatherings and rallies, and restrict access to private and public spaces;
Enabling the authorities to cancel or confiscate passports of anyone under investigation. On 1 September, an amendment to the decree extended this power, enabling the authorities to cancel or confiscate the passports of spouses and partners of those under investigation.
Restrictions imposed under the state of emergency go beyond those permissible under international human rights law, including unjustifiable limitations on media freedom and the right to freedom of expression.
During the first two and a half months of the state of emergency, pursuant to the decrees outlined above, authorities closed around 150 media outlets and publishing companies, leaving over 2,300 journalists and media workers without jobs. At least 99 journalists and writers have been arrested, bringing the total number of media workers detained on charges believed to be related to their exercise of the right to freedom of expression to at least 130, as of 19 October 2016. These numbers exclude other journalists who are currently in detention in police holding cells, or have been detained and released without charge during the state of emergency. Emergency provisions have also been used to harass family members of journalists who have fled abroad or gone into hiding, including by cancelling their passports or detaining them in the stead of those accused.
Such measures against journalists and media workers obstruct the right of people in Turkey to receive information about current events and to hold the government to account.
The Government of Turkey should ensure that the state of emergency and the related emergency decrees are not tools to facilitate serious human rights violations and to silence dissent. Meanwhile, Turkey’s international partners should not ignore the serious violations committed in the context of the state of emergency and should urgently call upon Turkey to rescind or amend the emergency provisions that are not consistent with the country’s international human rights obligations.

Signatories:
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
PEN International. [myad]

Don’t Waver In War Against Corruption, Prince Bola Ajibola Encourages Buhari-

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

A former Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to waver in the current battle with people that have allegedly milked this country dry and are being being charged for treasuty looting and corruption.

In this interview, he urged Nigerians to desist from antagonizing the administration even as he revealed how some Nigerians took the campaign against his election into the International Court of Justice to the international arena and brought the country to ridicule at that time:
His take on the anti-corruption campaign and whether corruption is fighting back as claimed by some observers
Yes, we are in it now and Buhari should not succumb. Nigerians got tired of corruption and voted Buhari to fight it. Now, the journey to fix the economy has started but the attitude of Nigerians towards him at this time is sad. But I will advise the President not to be tired. He should not succumb to the pressure against the anti-corruption war because Nigerians’ chances of getting out of the long and complex issues of corruption, insecurity and economy reside in his not succumbing to those pressures, forget about whether or not they are patient enough to bear the hardship.
To the Nigerians, I would say that the hardship the nation and the people currently experience are both the consequences of past wrong actions of corrupt people who would do anything to make sure that the President does not succeed in taking away their ill-gotten wealth. President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade is getting so hard on corrupt people so much that it has gone after their bad businesses at home and abroad. And the hardship thrown upon Nigerians because of their control of some level of the economy is to prove to the world that taming the corruption in which they have thrived in is not an easy job.
So, the administration of President Buhari has done well in the fight against corruption and insurgency. All that he should do now is to also jack up performance on the construction of roads and other infrastructure and tackle the causes of current food price hike in the country. I am enthused by his resilience and hope that he does not succumb to the pressures. I have confidence in his ability to face the challenges but my only worry is that Nigerians are too impatient. They want him to fix everything within a short time. I hope they give him the chance to fix the country for their sake.
How do you mean?
When oil is in trouble internationally, automatically our economy would be in trouble in Nigeria. And on the other side, you have some people who call themselves Niger Delta Avengers, who are bombing oil installations knowing that it is the nation’s only means of economic development and sustenance. They are bombing the gas pipelines, which enabled the President, a few months into his administration, to generate 5,070 megawatts of electricity. How do you want the economy to be all right when all these are going on and there is nobody among the leaders or the people who can say it is enough, stop the bombings? How do we move forward this way?
The best way to go is diversification which the government is doing. But will Nigerians give him the chance to do these things successfully? Will the media cooperate with him to succeed? Will the stakeholders in the economy cooperate with him? These are questions that we must all answer, if truly we realise that we have a problem and that we must get out of it. Everybody is just criticizing. Because you want to be known, you want to be heard, what you think that you need to do is to just wake up everyday and begin to criticize in an attempt to pull down the government. Why don’t you get positive for once about your government and see whether things will not get better for all?
It is sad! All stakeholders must come together, the business class, members of the bar, the media, the civil servants, all the security agencies, the elders and leaders of different regions of this country, let us make up our minds and say, yes, we have a problem, we have put a government that we trust there, what is our own contribution to making this government work?That is the better way to go. It is sad and it has got to stop.
Many are linking the impatience to the hardship in the country. What do you make of that?
Yes, things are hard. Even a prominent Nigerian was here yesterday (August 9, 2016) and he told me that things are very hard and I know too that things are very hard. But these are expected, if we must put things in proper perspective. However, it shouldn’t be this so hard but the corrupt people being dealt with by President Muhammadu are blackmailing him. I hope he doesn’t succumb to pressures. Sometimes you begin to wonder what manner of people Nigerians are if the same people that voted for Buhari to solve the problems of corruption, economy, insecurity, power, and national degradation have become tired of him this early.
See what is going on at the National Assembly. People are padding budget and glorifying themselves over issues bothering on corruption and crimes. Buhari must not be deterred. We were in government and fought corruption and it worked.
If you were in his shoes, how would you have felt in the face of accusation that he is responsible for the current hardship?
Fighting corruption is vital and it is going to come with many provocations and open show of ungratefulness by the same Nigerians you are working hard to save. But he should stand firm and not be deterred. What makes you a hero is your ability to stand face-to-face to those provocations and shows of ungratefulness because the same people that vilify you today will call you bravo tomorrow if you eventually succeed. That is the way to go.
When I served as Attorney-General of the Federation for over six years, I did not take salaries; I asked them to use my salaries as part of the fund to run the nation’s affairs. Despite all that, when I was nominated for election into the International Court of Justice (ICJ), eminent Nigerians, lawyers of note (names withheld) were alive then, they travelled all the way from Nigeria to campaign against me that I should not be voted into the ICJ.
It took one country member of the UN Security Council that I had once stood my ground in ensuring that it faced charges for flying forbidden drugs into our country, and from whom I refused to take bribe, to say, ‘no, this man is a man that can be trusted with justice, he did so, so and so to our country and we saw his honesty, loyalty, patriotism and he is a man of integrity.’ The campaign on the floor of the UN, by my own Nigerian people, against me worked as other nations present began to change their minds against me and campaigned for my main opposition who came from Ghana. It took that single country, which I had ensured it faced the punishment for its crime against our country, Nigeria, appreciating my past work as Attorney-General to now do a favourable campaign on my behalf and in the end, when the votes were cast, my main opponent had seven and I had eight votes.
That was an escape by the whiskers?
That was it. But for that country that appreciated my past work even against its interest, Nigeria would have lost that seat in the World Court to Ghana to show you how ungrateful Nigerians can be towards themselves and their government. A foreign country carried drug into our country. As the Attorney-General, I was offered bribe by that country and I strongly rejected the bribe and insisted that the foreign country was punished for that crime against our nation. How do you place the scenario that the country I punished was the only country I saw campaigning for me on behalf of Nigeria while eminent lawyers from Nigeria were fully on ground campaigning that Nigeria (Bola Ajibola) did not emerge successful from the election into the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?
How do you explain that? It shows that some Nigerians could be up to against the success of Nigeria. It therefore takes a very resilient leader to help Nigeria to succeed in that kind of situation. It was said in the UN then that it was the first time ever that they would be seeing people from a country campaigning against their country’s candidate.
Such attitude can discourage people from serving their fatherland…
Many of those that travelled from Nigeria to campaign against my election into the ICJ are no longer alive today but up till today, I refused to change from good to bad because of that. What gave you that strong heart? I know that they are just one or two among millions of Nigerians.
Today we are talking of over 170 million Nigerians. I cannot say because one or two people are ungrateful to me even though what they did was grievous and turn against the nation whereas there are 170 million others who are probably not as wicked as they.
That is why I would like to advise President Buhari not to be deterred by seeming lack of appreciation of the good work that he is doing and he should not because of that succumb to sabotage and pressures of the corrupt people that are contributory to the hardship of Nigerians currently. The success of the whole struggle is in his not succumbing and in his firmness. The people that are doing these to the government, who will always come out to criticise as if there is nothing good that the government has done or is doing should not be the reason to allow the other 170 million helpless Nigerians to suffer. He is capable and I pray that Almighty Allah will continue to strengthen him to succeed.

Source: The Punch. [myad]

Buhari To Chibok Girls: You’ve Seen The Worst, We’ll Give You The Best

Greenbarge Reporters

October 19, 2016

“These dear daughters of ours have seen the worst that the world has to offer. It is now time for them to experience the best that the world can do for them. The Government and all Nigerians must encourage them to achieve their desired ambitions.”

These were the words of comfort which President Muhammadu Buhari offered the 21 Chibok school girls that were released last week by Boko Haram insurgents, when he formally received them today, Wednesday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President stressed that the 21 girls will be given adequate and comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care and support, adding that his will rehabilitate them, and ensure that their reintegration back to the Society is done as quickly as possible.

“Aside from rescuing them, we are assuming the responsibility for their personal, educational and professional goals and ambitions in life. Obviously, it is not late for the girls to go back to school and continue the pursuit of their studies.”

Buhari described the freedom of the girls as a happy moment for him and for all Nigerians, adding: “it is a moment your parents, the Nation and the International Community have been eagerly waiting for, since your abduction on 14th April 2014.

“We must from the onset, thank Almighty God for this day that 21 of the Chibok girls have again breathed the air of freedom and are reunited with their parents. We are equally prayerful, that God in his infinite mercies and benevolence will see to it that the girls remaining in captivity will be freed and returned to us soonest.

“All Nigerians recall, sadly the night of 14th April 2014, 276 young female Nigerian students were abducted from the Government Secondary School in Chibok Borno State by the Boko Haram.

“Fortunately, 57 of the kidnapped school girls were able to escape, leaving 219 in captivity. One of the abducted girls, Amina Ali was found in May 2016. And today we are here celebrating the freedom and return of another 21 girls that regained freedom on Thursday 13th October. We are equally as hopeful as we are praying, that the remaining girls will be freed and returned to us without further delay.

“The release of these 21 girls followed a series of negotiations between Government and the Boko Haram group, brokered by our friends both local and International. Since this Administration assumed office, we have been working towards the safe release of the girls. The Nigerian DSS, Military and other Security Agencies have spared no effort to secure our girls. “These 21 girls are the manifestation of our doggedness and commitments to the release and return of the Chibok girls.

President Buhari made it clear that his government will redouble efforts to ensure that that it fulfill it pledge of bringing the remaining girls back home, saying that already, the credible first step has been taken and Government will sustain the effort until all the remaining girls return safely

“The Federal Government appreciates the patience and understanding of the parents of all the abducted Chibok girls. We equally thank Nigerians and the International Community for their support and prayers, and for never losing confidence in our ability to secure the safe release of our girls.

“Once again, I congratulate the 21 released girls, their parents, the Chibok Community the security agencies and all Nigerians on this day of delight and rejoicing.” [myad]

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