The Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) Group on Thursday, January 14, 2016 held a march in Abuja with the parents of the missing Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014.
The march ended with a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, a meeting which the BBOG members and Chibok parents were not impressed with.
President Buhari ordered journalists present out of the hall before the meeting commenced and also stopped the participants in attendance from taking notes.
A member of BBOG Group, Aisha Yesufu, who was in the meeting gives her account of the meeting via her Twitter handle.
First of all I just want to tell Taraba people that God had been merciful to them and no wonder Ministry of Women Affairs never does nothing
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
If the @SenAishaAlhassn I saw today is what is called Mama Taraba then please nobody should ever attach Mama to me ever
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
All @SenAishaAlhassn showed today is that empathy is not about gender. She a female couldn't connect with parents her male counterparts did
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
What baffled me the most was the incompetence @SenAishaAlhassn kept demonstrating by saying she had no knowledge of d march until last night
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
If d march by BBOG to d President was not known as claimed by @GarShehu & @SenAishaAlhassn then for crying out loud what is known to d govt
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
If d march by BBOG to d President was not known as claimed by @GarShehu & @SenAishaAlhassn then for crying out loud what is known to d govt
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
If BBOG march that was announced reported and letter sent on 31st Dec is not known by govt official then how would they know credible intel
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
When we insisted we wld wait for the President & they had to go off. @SenAishaAlhassn walked away. Her male colleagues came to the parents
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
BBOG never got a letter and I never called to find out why. As far as we were concerned #ChibokGirls issue is not a Women Affairs issue
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
All for @SenAishaAlhassn to say I told her to bring it to Unity Fountain and it was sent 3 times and nobody. I wondered why didn't she call
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
After the BBOG Meeting with the President today I came out with tremendous respect for the National Security Adviser Monguno 🙌🙌
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
The NSA Munguno came forth as one who valued citizens and connected with the pains the #ChibokParents were going through.
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
Even after the President had gone (That's another matter entirely ) the NSA did a lot of damage control. He calmed nerves and connected
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
The Chief of Defence Staff and the Minister of Defence were also great. They apologised to the parents for the treatment the day before
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
Chief Of Defence Staff and Minister of Defence also felt the pain of the #ChibokParents and connected and spoke soothingly to them
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
We waited and then the NSA came and told us the President would come to address us and they all left probably to brief the President.
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
Between the July 8th 2015 meeting and the Jan 14th 2016 meeting there was a huge difference in attitude of PMB @NGRPresident
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
The President @NGRPresident walked into the room angry. He could barely control it. Now I think about it. THERE WAS NO NATIONAL ANTHEM
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 14, 2016
Dr Oby Ezekwesili @obyezeks stood up and read the BBOG statement and then pleaded with the President to allow 2 or 3 parents to speak
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident gave permission for the parents to talk and they were called upon to do so
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
The parents were full of praises for the military. And they talked about the pains of their daughters captivity
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
The #ChibokMother who had earlier said is it because they are poor their children are not rescued and got a chiding mentioned that
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
During the address by Dr Oby Ezekwesili @obyezeks and also the parents PMB @NGRPresident was fiddling with his fingers and looking upward
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
Another time during the address by Dr Oby Ezekwesili @obyezeks and the parents PMB @NGRPresident was pulling off his nails
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
When they were all done PMB @NGRPresident addressed us and it was the same narrative put out by @GarShehu in his Op Ed A ray of light…..
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
For the first time ever I saw a PMB @NGRPresident playing the role of a victim. He didn't sound in charge. He was seeking validation
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
Did I tell you not only were Press people sent out but also that our members were stopped from writing? @MKabrik would verify that
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident kept talking about the fact that #ChibokGirls were abducted in the last administration
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident also spoke of how Boko Haram had been decimated and they were not holding territories
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB said why was he not being praised.
And I was like Wow! What happened to July 8th 2015 PMB that wanted harsh criticism #sad— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident told the #ChibokParents how corruption was being fought and arrests made of people who looted money meant for Arms
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident also told #ChibokParents how people with Rolls Royce and jets were being revered.
To parents grieving their children?!— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident told the #ChibokParents of the thousands of rescue that had been made.
In my mind I wondered if he had seen any
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident said after the Presidential Media Chat some criticised his stance of saying no Intel on #ChibokGirls
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident also said he is sorry he can't lie by his military training he is made to tell the truth and that's it
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident also reiterated the fact that they were waiting for credible leadership of Boko Haram to come forward for negotiation
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident said there were a lot of people who claim to have Intel but there are a lot of crooks out there wanting to make huge money
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
Did I tell you PMB @NGRPresident when addressing us called #ChibokParents paused & looked at our sides and said Ladies and Gentlemen
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
When I heard PMB @NGRPresident calling us Ladies and Gentlemen instead of BBOG I laughed in Etsako NA TODAY?! LAST ONE CALLED US WORSE
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
Ehhen PMB @NGRPresident also said some pple because they are good public speakers they are always out there
In my mind I said NO VEX NA GOD— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident also said he was doing his best and if people can't see it too bad (paraphrase)
And he sounded so much like Gej
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB said he thinks about the #ChibokGirls sleeping & waking. #ChibokGirls are on his mind all the time
THE VOICE &BODY LANGUAGE DIDN'T JELL— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident told #ChibokParents he was a father and grandfather and he had lost two children
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident said there had been help offered for intelligence gathering and he had been invited to Germany based on that
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident also said that he had reached the zenith of his career as a military man and also as a politician
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
#ChibokParents that came for reassurance and empathy got from PMB @NGRPRESIDENT I, I, I
It was mainly about the President— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
There was also talk about CBN Governor. Can't remember now and I thought what's #ChibokParents business with that. Do they even know CBN?
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident was upset and ended up being defensive instead of being in charge and reassuring and for the first time I saw an old man
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
When PMB @NGRPresident had finished he let go of the mike and it dropped with a small bang on the table. He stood up and strode away
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
PMB @NGRPresident walked out of the Banquet Hall with no glance at parents shell shocked . No empathy. No connection. Just coldness
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
As PMB @NGRPresident strode away there was no OBJ to tell him to go meet the parents as he told him to greet guests during the inauguration
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
Today all I heard from PMB @NGRPresident is about himself and what he was doing and achieved and not what the parents were going through
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
I left the meeting with the President resolved to keep demanding for our #ChibokGirls#BringBackOurGirls NOW & ALIVE #NeverToBeForgotten
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) January 15, 2016
