Jonathan in Maiduguri, says Chibok girls will soon be back

After a long silence on the Chibok girls, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that the students would be back home soon.

The president, speaking   at a rally in Maiduguri for his re-election said: “Our Chibok girls too will soon return.”

He did not elaborate.

For several months now, he had not commented  publicly on the over 200 schoolgirls who remain missing since their abduction  by Boko Haram in April last year, even when he visited Maiduguri on January 15 to address troops fighting the insurgents.

But yesterday he said: “We are going to fight hard to restore peace to all communities in Borno that are affected by the insurgents’ attacks.”

He expressed regret over the massive loss of human lives to the Boko Haram insurgency in the North.

He said the crisis would soon become history, the terrorists captured and the destroyed communities rebuilt.

The President said he would restore the glory of the state if he was re-elected.

Borno, according to him, has a rich history of commerce, which has now been adversely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

He said: “We will surely defeat the terror group, Boko Haram, so that our peace loving people of the Northeast and other troubled states can go about their legitimate business without any molestation.

“I have told the Shehu of Borno that we must surely overcome these terror attacks. We are going to conquer Boko Haram. Borno people were peace loving people until the coming of this common enemy called Boko Haram.

“We must all work hard to stop this fight and I promise you it is not going to be long before we achieve that.”

On the rebuilding of the destroyed communities, Jonathan said:  “I will continue to be working with you, until this insurgency is brought to an end. Nigeria is not the only country facing this terrorism that has claimed many lives and property.

“What I can assure you today is that all the destroyed communities in Borno state will be rebuilt by government.”

Hundreds  of communities  in   Baga, Bama, Dikwa, Gwoza, Banki, Konduga, Mafa, Marte, Damboa, Chibok and Gambouru local government area of the states are now in ruins on account of the Boko Haram terror.

Former governor of the state and PDP chieftain, Ali Modu Sheriff, vowed to stop Governor Kassim  Shettima from being re-elected.

“Under a free and fair election, Mr. President, I assure you that I will deliver Borno state to the People’s Democratic Party,” he boasted and asked that he be held responsible “if the PDP fails in a free, fair and credible election in this state.”

Also addressing the rally, the Minister of State for Power Mohammed Wakil, called on the people of Borno state to vote massively for the PDP considering the fact that the Jonathan administration has done well for them in the power sector.

Security in the city before and during the President’s visit was tight.

Heavy military hardware and armed security personnel were deployed cross the city which is the epicentre of Boko Haram terror.