By Ebitonye Akpodigha
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday promised that the Federal Government would take responsibility for the personal, educational, professional goals and ambitions of the recently freed Chibok girls.
Mr Buhari made this pledge when he received the girls at the State House in Abuja.
The President said the girls had been denied the good things of life by their captors and now deserved the best.
In his address, President Buhari said he is equally “prayerful, that God in his infinite mercies and benevolence will see to it that the girls remaining in captivity will be freed and returned to us soonest.”
The described their release as a “happy moment for me and for all Nigerians”, welcoming them “back to freedom.”
He noted that their rescue was facilitated through “series of negotiations between government and the Boko Haram group, brokered by our friends both local and international.”
Mr Buhari explained that, “Since this administration assumed office, we have been working towards the safe release of the girls.”
“The Nigerian DSS, Military and other Security Agencies have spared no effort to secure our girls. These 21 girls are the manifestation of our doggedness and commitments to the release and return of the Chibok girls,” he said further.
He promised that, “These 21 girls will be given adequate and comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care and support. The Federal Government will rehabilitate them, and ensure that their reintegration back to the Society is done as quickly as possible.”
Mr Buhari, who described their abduction as sad, thanked “Nigerians and the international community for their support and prayers, and for never losing confidence in our ability to secure the safe release of our girls.”
Giving an analysis of the abducted girls, the President on the night of April 14, 2014, “276 young female Nigerian students were abducted from the Government Secondary School in Chibok Borno State by the Boko Haram.
“Fortunately, 57 of the kidnapped school girls were able to escape, leaving 219 in captivity. One of the abducted girls, Amina Ali was found in May 2016. And today we are here celebrating the freedom and return of another 21 girls that regained freedom on Thursday, October 13, 2016.”
