EZEKWESILI STOPPED CHIBOK COMMUNITY FROM SEEING JONATHAN – OKUPE

The Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Doyin Okupe on Wednesday, July 16, blamed the convener of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, of scuttling the proposed meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and parents of the abducted Chibok girls, who were in Abuja.
“I have it on good authority that the Chairman of the Chibok Community in Abuja and the parents were very enthusiastic and happy that the president was going to see them”, but was quick to add that “unfortunately the night before Malala left we knew there was something untoward that was already in the offing” he said.
Mr Okupe alleged that the Pakistani Child Rights Activist, Malala Yousafzai, before boarding a plane back “was on the telephone with some of the leaders of Bring Back Our Girls and in particular, Mrs Ezekwsili, who insisted to her that under no circumstances would they allow the girls and parents to visit the president” adding that “Malala was very upset and distraught that she was on the phone for about 40 minutes pleading.
“When she was not successful, she gave the phone to her father, who also passionately pleaded that having made this effort so far, it will be very sad and unbecoming and a major setback to the world if the Bring Back Our Girls campaign should frustrate that meeting” he said.
He described the incident as an unpleasant development in the bid to rescue the girls and added that “yesterday was really a dark day; a very unfortunate day that we had a very unpleasant development in this issue of Chibok”.
Speaking via a telephone interview on Sunrise Daily, Mr Okupe said “Malala broke down in tears” adding that “that they agreed with her that if she made that appointment they will go”
He however said President Jonathan has formally written to the Chibok Community to see him on the matter and debunked claims that Malala’s visit prompted the invitation.
He noted that several committees had on the instance of the Federal Government visited Chibok town but were not allowed to see either parents of the abducted girls or some of the girls that had escaped from their captors due to “fear of being seen on camera”.
He however noted that “it is the same people that were able to come to Abuja and didn’t cover their face(s), they were ready and willing to speak on camera openly to local and foreign media”.
He said the President has assured Nigerians that “he will do everything within his power to ensure that he brings the girls back safely”.
Source: Channels TV