Chibok girls: We are with Buhari, FG on swap policy – Sheriff

…Dissociates self from Makarfi’s stand

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has distanced itself from the position of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee which said the swap of Boko Haram terrorists in exchange of 82 Chibok girls was dangerous for the country.

Rather, Senator Sheriff maintained that the PDP will continue to encourage the Federal Government to negotiate more and release the entire girls.

The PDP National Chairman stated that it was actually the administration of the immediate past President of the country, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan that initiated the idea of swapping the girls with terrorists.

The acting Deputy National Chairman of the party, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, who said these at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, expressed delight at the release of the Chibok girls.

Ojougboh noted that efforts to secure the release of the girls started in May 2014 when a consultant of the World Bank who visited Nigeria told Chief EK Clark that the Chibok girls were alive and could be rescued.

He said: “The PDP led by Ali Modu Sheriff has welcomed the release of these girls and will continue to encourage the Federal Government to negotiate more and release the entire girls.”

According to Ojougboh, former President Goodluck Jonathan, had approved the nomination of trustworthy persons to do anything possible to release the girls.

Ojougboh also stated that the PDP had approved the same swapping which would have resulted in the release of the girls in May 2014 but was scuttled by someone within Borno State who got wind of the move.

He added that the idea of swapping the girls with the terrorists was started by the present government.

His words: “We took the information to Mr. President (Jonathan), Mr. President said that whatever it would take to
release the Chibok girls, any swop that these people demand, he approved it.

“Jonathan approved it. So the idea that the swap of Boko Haram girls with prisoner is not necessary, i will tell you that it was PDP government that initiated it.

“When Jonathan left office, the international Red Cross and the Embassy of Switzerland, the then ambassador and the current one, continued with the process.

“The party approved anything it takes to release these girls. One axiom in law is that it good for all offenders and criminals to go free than for one innocent person to be unjustly punished.

“These girls are being unjustly punished, so anything it takes the government to release them, the party is in support”, he declared.

Towards this end, the PDP Acting Deputy National Chairman said himself, the chief of defence staff, Gen. Alex Badeh, the Chief of Staff to the then President Jonathan were nominated to negotiate the release of girls.

He also added that Malam Shehu Sani, now a Senator and a Borno State businessman who he preferred not to name were the people who contacted the representatives of the Boko Haram.

The former member of House of Representatives from Delta State pointed out that the position of the Makarfi-led NCC did not represent the view of the party on the matter describing them as ‘rebel’ group.

His words” “Today, I am very happy as a person, in this country today, there is cause for happiness and for jubilation over the release of the 82 chibok girls. The PDP welcomes it, the PDP congratulates Mr. President, the armed forces, the embassy and people if Switzerland especially the international Red Cross and all partners who have worked assiduously for the success of the release of the Chibike girls.

“The attention of the party has been drawn to a statement made by the rebel group criticizing aspects of the release of the Chibok girls.

“None of them on the so-called caretaker committee has ever run a party, they don’t have experience and so, they don’t even know what government is all about. So for them to come out to criticize the process of this release is most unbecoming and we ask Nigerians to completely ignore them no discountenance what they are saying.

“Let us make it clear that the effort and the battle to release the Chibok girls started a long time ago. In effect, sometimes in May 2014, a consultant of the World Bank visited Nigeria and approached Chief EK Clark that the Chibok girls were alive and they could be rescued.

“Chief EK Clark made contact with the then President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and he authorized Chief Clark to nominate a trustworthy persons to negotiate on behalf of the government of Nigeria for the release of the Chibok girls. Ladies Abe gentlemen, I am proud today to tell you that I was the one who was nominated to negotiate the release of the Chibok girls.

“The parties that were put together on behalf of the government of Nigeria are the following persons. One, the then director òf SSS, the then Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Baden, the CSO to Mr. President, my humble Self, we were to negotiate on behalf of the President. Then Senator Shehu Sani, who is currently a senator, a particular businessman and the owner of a school in Borno whose name I cannot call for obvious reason, 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 the Boko Haram to the international Red Cross, and to the Ambassador of Switzerland, they gave us time, they studies what information we had and they approved it.

“Arrangements were made to release the Chibok girls sometime in May 2014, provisions were made, and 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 ten of their mallams were arrested, in Baluchi when they were praying.

“When we took the Information to the DSS and the then CDS, Gen Badeh, they laughed, they said no, these people they gave us names, which I still have today, they are not Malam, they are hardened and toughened terrorists.

“We are very happy that this 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 negotiation, and whatever it takes to release the remaining girls should be done.

“We a calling on the press and Nigerians that the dissident group, the renegade group, the rebels of PDP, They should not issue statement on behalf of PDP and it is credited to PDP.

“The only thing I have to this is that when in May, 2014, we were to receive these girls, we had already committed every resources available, logistics were made, but when we got to the negotiation point’ the ICR, myself and lady doctors from the SSS, we were disappointed.”, he explained.