The meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on the schoolgirls abducted in Chibok ended in the early hours of Sunday with a presidential directive that all the missing girls must be recovered alive.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, told State House correspondents that President handed down the directive to those who attended the meeting, insisting that all the missing schoolgirls most be recovered on time.
Abati said, “The President has given very clear directives that everything must be done to ensure that those girls are brought back to safety.
“There was a lot of discussion. This is the first time the President will be meeting with all the other key persons like the school principal, the local government chairman and the commissioner of police.
“Before now, the President and the governor meet regularly. This is a security operation and at this stage, it is not every detail of the efforts of the Federal Government that will be put into public domain particularly that there are indications that those responsible for the abduction have been issuing all kinds of threats.
“What is clear is the determination, the commitment and the resolve of Mr. President and the governor to make sure that these girls are brought back to safety
“I don’t want to deal with numbers. Even if it is one person, the safety of every Nigerian is important.”
Abati described the meeting as a follow up to a meeting the President had on Friday to further show his determination to make sure that the girls are brought back to safety, adding that no stone would be left unturned in others to achieve the objective.
The presidential spokesman said there was a high-powered collaboration among all stakeholders including government at all levels and the community to ensure the safety of the girls.
No member of the Borno delegation spoke to journalists at the end of the meeting that lasted over three hours.
At the time the meeting ended, the President and his team also met briefly with the governor and his deputy while other members of the delegation stood outside.
They came out after about another 15 minutes of discussion to join the other members of the theme.
Shettima attended the meeting at the Presidential Villa alongside his deputy, his Chief of Staff, the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Musa Kubo, the chairman of the local government, the State Commissioner of Police, the Divisional Police Officer and the Principal of the school, Asabe Kwabura among others.
On the President’s side were Vice President Namadi Sambo; President of the Senate, David Mark; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius, security chiefs and some other top presidential aides.
