The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Federal Gvernment to immediately put an end to the discordant tunes emanating from the highest echelons of government and speak with one voice on issues concerning the ongoing efforts to find and rescue the school girls abducted by Boko Haram.
APC in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its interim national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the conflicting statements emanating from top government officials over the conditions given by Boko Haram for releasing the girls are totally unwarranted and could send the wrong signals to the insurgents and hinder the efforts to ensure the safe return of the over 200 female students.
The opposition party advised the government to designate a spokesman, be it the minister of information or whoever it deems fit, to be responsible for relaying to the public any relevant information concerning the search for the missing girls on daily basis, instead of allowing a cacophony of voices on the issue.
“Information management is key if the government itself is not to jeopardise ongoing international efforts to find and rescue the girls, and the government must move fast to keep the nation informed through an established channel, in line with global best practices under such circumstances”, APC said.
The party noted that while Interior Minister, Abba Moro and Senate President David Mark have said the government would not negotiate the release of the girls, Information Minister, Labaran Maku, Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mike Omeri and Special Duties Minister, Alh. Taminu Turaki, have have hinted that the FG will do whatever it takes to free the girls, including negotiating with the insurgents.
“To compound matters, President Goodluck Jonathan was widely quoted in the local newspapers on Thursday as saying the government would not release the incarcerated Boko Haram members in exchange for the girls.
“This kind of utter confusion is a window view into the inner workings of the federal government as far as this critical issue of finding and freeing the girls is concerned, and it is unfortunate.
“This is the kind of befuddlement that has characterised the FG’s response to the Boko Haram crisis and led to a sorry state where a nation widely acclaimed for its global peacekeeping role is now at the receiving end of a global effort to save it from itself”, APC said.