Chibok girls: Protesters accuse FG of spreading falsehood

The #BringBackOurGirls protesters in Abuja demanding that the Federal Government rescued the 219 Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Haram have accused government of spreading falsehood and carrying out a campaign of calumny against them.

Leaders of the group Hadiza Bala Usman and Obiageli Ezekwesili in a statement yesterday accused government officials of malicious falsehood on the issue of Chibok parents’ botched visit to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The group denied being responsible for the cancellation of the meeting by the Chibok girls parents with the president “as (had) been insinuated by some Government officials.”

The statement said there has been “escalation of campaign of calumny by government officials on our Citizens movement advocating for the rescue of the 219 school girls of abducted from Chibok Girls Secondary School, 93 days ago.”

Eleven parents and five escaped girls were in Abuja last weekend to interact with girl-child education advocate Malala Yousafzai. The 17 year old Pakistani had in a public speech declared that she had received a promise by President Jonathan to meet with the 11 parents and five girls.

“However, during the BringBackOurGirls daily sit out, our movement was informed by the Chairman, Abuja Chibok community of the outcome of a meeting held with officials of the Presidency in Malala’s suite (immediately after her speech),” the statement said.

“He conveyed that they were informed at that meeting of the scheduling of the visit to the President for the 11 parents and five girls at 4.00pm on Tuesday July 15, 2014.”

The statement said although some members of the movement were surprised at the sudden invitation to meet with the President, “our leadership concluded that session by emphasizing that it was the absolute right of the Chibok community to decide on the matter.”